Lawrence City Clerk: State will 'take over' election process following fraud allegations

By Jill Harmacinski

LAWRENCE — The state will “take over” the city’s election process due to complaints of political fraud and violations with absentee ballots.

The Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees elections, was asked by City Clerk Eileen Bernal to take over the election under a state law known as “56-60.”

“Basically, that means that they will take over the election to avoid any additional interference with the Election process,” Bernal said in an email to members of the City Council on Thursday. “One of the primary benefits of this status is that it will require all personnel changes to be vetted through the Office of the Secretary of State.”

Bernal wrote that staff in the elections office at City Hall “is being targeted and I firmly believe they need this extra layer of protection.”

Mayor Brian DePena is being challenged in the Nov. 4 election by Juan “Manny” Gonzalez, a city firefighter and community activist.

Gonzalez’s campaign has reported numerous instances of ballot fraud and irregularities recently, including alleged tampering with absentee ballots, ballot harvesting at senior housing complexes and interference with voters during the Sept. 16 election.

An elections worker, Jennifer Pagan, was placed on administrative leave and an investigation ordered by DePena after there was an issue with a resident over an absentee ballot. On Wednesday, DePena and one his staff members had a locked door meeting with election workers in their office after workers questioned a woman with absentee ballots.

Secretary of State William Galvin, in an election order handed down late Thursday afternoon, called for strict oversight of absentee ballots by election workers.

Galvin’s order confirms the state has received numerous complaints about irregularities in the absentee ballot process,

The Lawrence Elections Office is under orders to immediately review all absentee ballot applications, according to city councilors.

Galvin confirmed the Lawrence elections divisions received “absentee ballot applications and ballots themselves which were not from the named voter on the application and/or named on the outer envelope of the submitted absentee ballot itself. Information has also been received that some voters submitting an absentee ballot application do not meet the lawful requirements to cast an absentee ballot.”

“As a result of circumstances surrounding the submission of absentee ballot applications by persons other than the voter, the Secretary has previously directed the election administrators in the Lawrence Election Office to ask for identification from those submitting the application. Many refuse, leave the applications, and walk out without providing identification,” Galvin wrote.

City Councilors praised the state oversight noting the importance of a fair election free from “political manipulation.”

“This action by the Secretary of the Commonwealth validates the serious concerns we raised about improper interference in the Elections Department,” said City Council President Jeovanny Rodriguez. “Our focus has always been to protect the integrity of the process and the rights of voters. It is now clear that state authorities share those concerns and are taking steps to ensure a fair and lawful election.”

City Council Vice President Stephany Infante added, “For weeks, the Elections Department has faced intimidation, overreaching requests, and pressure from the Mayor’s Office – creating an atmosphere of fear among staff. The Secretary’s intervention ensures that Lawrence’s election will be managed professionally, transparently, and free from political manipulation.”

A spokesperson for the Gonzalez campaign said the “constant barrage of threats, fear and intimidation that the Elections Department personnel have been put through by the DePena administration is despicable.”

Christopher Keohan, a consultant and campaign strategist working for Gonzalez, said, “there is no room in our community for the actions Brian DePena and his minions continue to engage in. Their clear fraud is intimidating voters, predatory against our seniors and has destroyed the morale of city employees.”

Keohan said the Gonzalez campaign welcomes “Secretary Galvin and the Attorney General’s actions to take over the election process and hope it provides the necessary relief to our local Elections workers. The actions of our state law enforcement and elections officials have validated our concerns about voter fraud and we are calling on ALL officials who endorsed this corrupt and morally bankrupt individual to rescind their endorsements to join the right side of history.”

But DePena, in a statement released Thursday night, said Galvin’s action “does not authorize the state to ‘take over’ or ‘run’ a local election. Rather, it allows the Secretary’s Office and the Attorney General to review or address any formal complaints if violations of election law are alleged. This is an oversight mechanism that exists for every city and town in Massachusetts – not a special action targeted at Lawrence.”

DePena added that his “administration fully supports transparency, fairness, and every safeguard that ensures every eligible voter’s voice is heard and counted. We welcome any lawful oversight or review process and will continue working closely with state officials, as we always have, to uphold the highest standards of election integrity.”

He added that “Lawrence has made tremendous progress in strengthening public trust and civic engagement, and I will not allow misinformation to undermine that progress. I encourage all residents to stay informed and make their voices heard on Election Day, November 4.”

City Clerk Bernal, in her email to city councilors, said election workers at City Hall will “still run the day-to-day operations of the election. The state has reiterated that they have full faith in the City’s Election Division staff.”