Mt. Lebanon Woman Charged Over Dead Mother's Voter Registration
Michelle Ziolkowski, 54, faces forgery and records-tampering charges after investigators say she submitted a registration application in her late mother's name.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Elections
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Michelle Ziolkowski, 54, of Mt. Lebanon near Pittsburgh, was charged with forgery and tampering with public records after mailing a voter registration application in the name of her mother, Fern Winans, to the Allegheny County elections office in September. Winans died in September 2021, and her registration was canceled in October 2021.
Why it matters
Investigators said the signature on the application matched Ziolkowski's handwriting, and the elections office identified the case as the only instance of voter fraud it caught this year. The case highlights how the county's registration checks flagged a fraudulent submission tied to a deceased voter.
Ziolkowski faces forgery and tampering-with-public-records charges, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 2. The only voter fraud case the county elections office caught this year, it remains unclear whether any ballot was cast under the canceled registration.
The players
Allegheny County Elections Office
The county office that received the fraudulent application and caught the case, administering voter registration and elections for one of Pennsylvania's largest counties.
Michelle Ziolkowski
A 54-year-old Mt. Lebanon resident and senior vice president at Truist Financial Corp. who is charged in the case.
The details
Ziolkowski told police she heard about voter fraud and wondered whether it was real, and decided to test the system. She used her home address to attempt to register her late mother as a Democrat.
Timeline
September 2021: Fern Winans dies.
October 2021: Winans's voter registration is canceled.
September: Ziolkowski mails the registration application to the Allegheny County elections office.
Tuesday: Election in which nearly 520,000 ballots are cast in the county.
Dec. 2: Ziolkowski's preliminary hearing is scheduled.
Seasonal Patterns
This prosecution reflects the pattern of isolated, individually charged registration-fraud cases in Pennsylvania rather than a broad breakdown in the state's voter rolls. It sits within a county system that caught a single fraud case among roughly 520,000 ballots cast in the Tuesday election.
Residents who register to vote should confirm their information is accurate and that no registration has been submitted in a deceased relative's name. The county's handling of this case shows that registration filings are reviewed for signature and address matches.
The takeaway
Registration-fraud cases like this are typically caught through verification of signatures and records, and they carry criminal charges. Voters should keep their own registration records accurate, especially after a family member's death.
What happens next
Ziolkowski's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 2.
Further reading
Explore more on Elections coverage for Pittsburgh readers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Item.
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