Waukegan Ald. Sylvia Sims Bolton, 1st Ward, learned little about the charges the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office has filed against her for voting fraud at her initial court appearance Thursday, except that she must return to Lake County Court.
Charged with felony mutilation of election material and the misdemeanor of disregarding the election code for casting a vote in the March 17 primary for her deceased mother, Bolton surrendered to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office after a warrant was issued.
Though there was an arrest warrant, there is not yet a formal indictment. Sara Avalos, the director of communications for the State’s Attorney’s Office, said Thursday a grand jury has yet to hand up an indictment against her with specific charges.
Bolton appeared before County Judge Randie Bruno, learning she must return to court at 9 a.m. on Aug. 17 for a preliminary hearing.
Once an indictment is handed up, Avalos said Bolton will be arraigned on any specific charges. That could take place on Aug. 17, she said.
Though Bolton said at a Waukegan City Council meeting on June 1 she was reconsidering a run for reelection in 2027. After Thursday’s court appearance, she said she had no comment on whether she has made a decision and started circulating petitions.
“I am reconsidering not running again for reelection, but we will see,” Bolton said at the City Council meeting. “I want to say thank you to those who have called me and reached out to me and supported me and showing their concern.”
County Clerk Anthony Vega said Thursday candidates for the city councils in Waukegan and North Chicago were able to start circulating petitions for the Feb. 23 primary election on Wednesday.
Authorities said the charges against Bolton stem from her casting a vote-by-mail ballot for the March 17 Democratic primary election on Feb. 26 in the name of her late mother, Mary Sims, who died on Jan. 12.
Sims was living in the same home as Bolton when she died. A vote-by-mail ballot was mailed to Sims on Feb. 5. The clerk’s office was notified of Sims’ death on Feb. 12 through the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The ballot was deposited in a box outside the clerk’s office on Feb. 26, was flagged and separated from the other ballots. On March 27, election officials realized the death record was processed before the ballot was returned. It was then confirmed by a Lake County sheriff’s detective.
Appointed to the council in 2017 by then newly elected Mayor Sam Cunningham after he spent 18 years representing the First Ward, Bolton was elected in 2019 and again in 2023.
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