100K Medical Marijuana Signatures In Nebraska Under Investigation Amid Alleged Fraud Questions
Nebraska’s top election and legal authorities are questioning the legitimacy of nearly 100,000 signatures collected for two medical cannabis petitions slated for the 2024 ballot. Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Secretary of State Bob Evnen have cited instances of fraud and notary misconduct as grounds for their challenge.
Validity Of Signatures Challenged
In a recent legal filing, Hilgers stated that an ongoing investigation casts serious doubt on approximately 49,000 signatures on each petition. According to the Nebraska Examiner, the alleged irregularities involve fraudulent activities by petition circulators and malfeasance by notaries across 72 of the state’s 93 counties. “In the aggregate, the petition circulator fraud and notary malfeasance described taints — strips the presumption of validity — from tens of thousands of submitted signatures,” said Hilgers.
Allegations focus on notaries who served simultaneously as circulators, instances where notaries stamped petitions without the circulator present and circulators allegedly engaging in fraudulent practices. If these signatures are invalidated, the petitions would fall below the required …