GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — A case of alleged voter fraud in Itasca County may be headed for a jury trial in October after a judge rejected a proposed guilty plea from defendant Danielle Miller on August 25. Miller, 40, from rural Nashwauk, has been charged with three felony counts of absentee voter fraud, stemming from allegations that she tried to cast a ballot in the name of her deceased mother for the 2024 presidential election.
Initially, Miller pleaded not guilty to all charges in May but sought to change her plea to guilty on August 21. However, during a recent hearing, the judge turned down her plea due to Miller’s inability to accurately detail the facts of her case, a requirement under Minnesota law to ensure that defendants comprehend the specifics of their admissions.
Itasca County Attorney Jacob Fauchald indicated that Miller asserted she was intoxicated at the time of the incident and stated that her sister submitted the absentee ballots. Fauchald noted that the ongoing investigation contradicts her claims.
In a subsequent court document, Miller’s attorney, Justin Braulick, revealed plans to invoke a defense based on voluntary intoxication. While this argument does not absolve her of responsibility, it could influence how the jury perceives her mental state at the time of the alleged offenses.
Fauchald anticipates that the case will not go to trial, as he expects a resolution prior to the scheduled pretrial settlement conference on October 20. He indicated that another attempt to accept a guilty plea is likely before that date.
Miller faces charges including two counts of intentionally signing or creating a false certificate and one count of casting an unlawful vote. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison or a $10,000 fine.
According to court documents, Miller confessed to a sheriff’s lieutenant that she had filled out the absentee ballot for her mother, Rose Marie Javorina, who had died on August 31, 2024. Miller reportedly stated that her mother, an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, would have wanted to vote for him but passed away just before the ballots were mailed out.
The investigation into the matter began after the Itasca County auditor identified possible voter fraud based on discrepancies in the signatures submitted with the ballots. Auditor Austin Rohling explained that his office flags deceased individuals in the voter registration system, but because Javorina’s death had not been certified before ballots were issued, she remained on the list.
“When the ballot was returned in the signature envelope, we noticed the signatures didn’t match,” Rohling said. “So we double-checked our records and discovered she had passed away before ballots could have been distributed.”
Miller’s initial plan was to plead guilty to one count of making or signing a false certificate, with the expectation that the other charges would be dropped. As part of a potential plea agreement, she faced a three-year term of supervised probation, which could be reduced to two years.
Additionally, Miller would have been required to complete a reading assignment and write a paper discussing the significance of voting in a democracy, along with measures to combat election fraud. Other conditions included paying restitution, an $885 fine, providing a DNA sample, undergoing a psychological evaluation, and maintaining consistent employment or education while completing 20 hours of community service weekly.
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