A Nashwauk, Minn., woman accused of voting in place of her dead mother pleaded guilty to voter fraud, and has been ordered by a judge to read the book “Thank You for Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth about Voting in America.”
Danielle C. Miller, 51, entered a Norgaard plea to the felony Wednesday in Itasca County Court, meaning she cannot recall committing the crime but agrees that there is enough evidence for a conviction. Two other charges were dismissed, according to court filings.
In early October 2024, the Itasca County Auditor’s Office received two sealed absentee ballots, one for Miller and another for her mother, Rose Marie Javorina, who had died in August, according to court documents. The auditor contacted the Itasca County Sheriff’s Department and a lieutenant reviewed the signatures on both, which were similar and matched Miller’s driver’s license signature.
Messages to Miller’s attorney, Justin M. Braulick, and Miller were not immediately returned Thursday.
Miller told the officer her mother was an avid supporter of Donald Trump and had wanted to vote for him, but died before she received her absentee ballot, according to the initial complaint.
She was sentenced to three years of probation, fined $885 and, in addition to reading the 2020 book by Erin Geiger Smith, must write a 10-page essay about the importance of voting in a democracy, according to court documents.
