An example of a Connecticut voter registration card.
A state employee at the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services accused of altering voter registration cards in Torrington has been arrested.
Detectives in Torrington began investigating a fraud complaint in Oct. 2024. It was reported that voter registration cards were altered after a national voting event at the Western CT Mental Health Network on Winsted Road on Sept. 17, 2024.
During the investigation, police said they identified a 57-year-old woman as a suspect. According to police, the woman is a state employee with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Investigators said she intentionally altered several voter registration cards by changing the affiliation party from "No" or "Republican" to "Democrat" without the consent of the registrants.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
The woman later submitted the voting registration cards to the Registrar of Voters clerk in Torrington, according to police.
Once inspected by the clerk, authorities said it was determined that the cards had been altered.
In a statement, DMHAS said, "an employee is alleged to have altered voter registration forms - a behavior the department does not tolerate. The employee in question is currently on administrative leave. The laws governing our elections must be adhered to without exception."
Local
The State Elections Enforcement Commission and the Torrington Police both began investigating.
An arrest warrant was granted and she turned herself into police on Monday. She is facing five counts of fraudulent registration and five counts of primary or enrollment violations.
She was released on a $10,000 bond and is due in court on Feb. 10.
