SLO County supervisor candidate charged with filing false papers, voter fraud and perjury
A former candidate for the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has been charged with felony voter fraud, perjury and filing false papers to run for office, the district attorney said Monday.
Michelle Marie Morrow, 55, of Grover Beach ran as a write-in candidate for the District 3 Board of Supervisors seat in the March primary election when she actually lived in District 4, the District Attorney’s Office said.
District 3 includes a chunk of San Luis Obispo, plus the Edna Valley, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach and a portion of Grover Beach.
She faces two felony charges related to that candidacy, one for submitting false paperwork on Feb. 16, making it a false declaration of candidacy, and another for doing so under penalty of perjury, the DA’s Office said.
Morrow filed to run for the District 3 Supervisor seat with a Grover Beach address.
According to a Feb. 1 story from New Times, Morrow was initially deemed ineligible to run because she had supposedly not lived at the District 3 address long enough. County election rules require candidates to be a resident of the district for which they are running in for at least 30 days.
County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano told New Times that Morrow would become eligible to register on Feb. 15 and needed to submit her candidacy paperwork no later than Feb. 19 — which she did on Feb. 16 under the Grover Beach address.
Now, the DA’s charges allege that she never lived at an address in District 3 at all.
The other two felony charges are related to voting.
Morrow allegedly committed voter registration fraud when she registered to vote at an address where she did not reside. She then later allegedly voted fraudulently using that District 3 address despite actually living in District 4.
On Sept. 11, the four felony charges were filed against Morrow for voter registration fraud, filing a false declaration of candidacy, fraudulent voting and for perjury by declaration. The DA’s Office said all of these crimes were committed during the March 5, 2024, primary election cycle.
Morrow challenged Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg for her District 3 seat at the time.
She ran as a registered Republican, according to election committee filings made on April 15.
Her top priority in one campaign ad was to “eliminate corruption,” a post on Facebook showed.
Morrow received 866 as a write-in candidate, 6.59% of the total vote, according to the Clerk-Recorder’s Office’s final official election results for the March 5 primary. Ortiz-Legg won in a landslide with 93.4% of the votes.
She is also the founder and CEO of Morrow Support, a Central Coast referral agency for senior citizens to caregivers.
Morrow’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 10, 2024, in Department 3. Sentencing for a conviction of these crimes may include probation, county jail confinement, or confinement in state prison, according to the DA’s Office.
The voter registration violation, false filing declaration of candidacy and fraudulently voting/attempting to vote each carry a $1,000 fine and/or up to three years in jail or prison. The perjury by declaration charge carries up to four years in state prison. If Morrow was convicted of multiple charges, the judge could order multiple sentences to be served concurrently.
The Tribune attempted to reach Morrow but did not immediately receive a response. A reporter also visited her current address in Arroyo Grande, but she was not home. It’s unclear why the DA identified her as living in Grover Beach.
Supervisor, clerk-recorder comment on charges
District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg applauded the DA’s Office for pursuing charges in the case.
“We have an outstanding public elections integrity group in the District Attorney’s Office. I’m grateful for their work and being on top of issues like this,” District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg said. “I want to congratulate the DA’s office for once again proving that election integrity is important to the county of San Luis Obispo.”
“There is nothing my office takes more seriously than upholding the law and conducting local elections that adhere to California Elections Code,” SLO County Clerk Elaina Cano said in a news release. The Clerk-Recorder’s Office runs SLO County’s elections.
“In any instance in which an individual or individuals attempt to corrupt the process, my office will work with law enforcement to thoroughly investigate and ensure that justice is served,” she said. “Maintaining the integrity of our elections is our top priority, and we will continue to safeguard the voting process for all county residents, ensuring that every valid vote is counted and that any fraudulent activity is addressed swiftly and appropriately.”
This story was originally published September 16, 2024 at 1:06 PM.
