BOISE, Idaho — Charles A. Skiles, 70, was sentenced to three years of probation for illegally voting and illegal voting registration in the 2020 Presidential election on Wednesday.
Pursuant to Idaho law, Skiles could not vote since he was on felony probation, according to a press release from the Ada County Prosecutor's Office.
In August of this year, a jury convicted Skiles on the charges of felony illegal voting, and misdemeanor illegal registration by a voter. Ada County Judge Ronald Wilper sentenced Mr. Skiles Wednesday to a three-year prison term, but suspended the prison term and placed him on a three-year probation along with a $1,500 fine, the release said.
Skiles voted in Ada County on Nov. 3, 2020, and completed a voter registration card and attested that he was an eligible voter, the release said, and illegally casted a vote.
According to the news release, in 2021, the Ada County Elections Office was reviewing the election and discovered the illegal voting. An investigation was conducted, and it led to Skiles being charged.
Skiles registered to vote in four other occasions, but his actions were discovered and removed by Ada County Election official, the release said.
"The right to vote in a democratic republic is precious," Judge Wilper said during the sentencing.
"We do a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure the integrity of voting," said Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane. "I am grateful for the team of investigators and the partnership we have with Sheriff Clifford and Prosecutor Bennetts to ensure the law is upheld. This is one case of a small handful we have taken action on recently, and though voting crimes are rare, we work hard to both prevent and detect them, and pursue cases in instances where the law has been broken."
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