A 70-year-old Castle Rock woman who forged a deceased landlord’s ballot in March 2024 became the new 23rd Judicial District’s first voter fraud conviction.

The Douglas County Clerk & Recorder and 23rd Judicial District officials said voter fraud cases are rare within the large, Republican-dominated county south of Denver.

Joy “Beth” Lewis was convicted on Jan. 21 for forging the name of a dead landlord in the 2024 Presidential Primaries, authorities. Lewis served 20 days in jail.

“This case shows how the layers of security built into our elections process work to ensure its integrity,” Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Sheri Davis said in a news release.   

“Voter fraud erodes the core of our democracy, and it is vital that those who engage in such acts face consequences to preserve the integrity of our electoral system,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Corrie Caler said in the release.

In March 2024, before Colorado’s new judicial district was created, 18th Judicial District attorney’s in Douglas County received a “signature discrepancy letter” for voter Ronald Watson, which noted the signature on his ballot didn’t match his previous signatures in other elections, according to a May 2 report by district attorney officials.

However Watson died in New Mexico in April 2023, according to an email sent to prosecutors by a family member who received the discrepancy letter.

After further investigation, a district attorney’s office employee confronted Lewis at her home in late May 2024, according to the DA’s report.

The report detailed that Lewis initially denied forging Watson’s signature on his ballot, but later said she was the one who signed it.

Lewis told the the district attorney’s office: “I got sick of forwarding their mail. So, I just voted for him,” adding she didn’t know Watson and that he passed away, according to the report.

Lewis also submitted her own ballot in the same election.

“Joy said she did not realize it was ‘serious’ and she ‘thought it was ok to send it in,’” an investigator said in the report.

“Signature Discrepancies are the most common irregularity accounting for nearly all the cases referred to our office,” the investigator added.

Now that Douglas County is the 23rd Judicial District, the Lewis case fell under its jurisdiction.

“We take voting so seriously, when someone tries to cheat the system, we will seek to jail them,” District Attorney George Brauchler said in the news release. “Not your ballot? Don’t vote it.” 

Voter fraud cases are rare in Douglas County, according to Clerk and Recorder’s office officials.

In fact, an average of 2% of Douglas County voters are contacted to “cure” their ballots in each election. Voters are given eight days to respond. Only .001% of voters contacted do not complete or respond and are then reported to the district attorney’s office, according to a Douglas County Clerks and Recorder office spokesperson.