Delco Borough VP Faked Votes For Himself In 2021 Mayoral Race: DA

MILLBOURNE, PA — A Delaware County municipal official has been accused of voter fraud, with authorities alleging his falsely registered people to vote and also cast ballots for them in 2021.

According to the Delaware County District Attorney's Office, MD Nurul Hasan, 47, of Millbourne, was charged with 16 counts of unlawful voting, 16 counts of voting fraud, and 16 counts of obstructing administration of law or other governmental function, all graded as misdemeanors.

Authorities said the charges stem from actions he took in relation to the 2021 Millbourne mayoral race, in which he was a candidate but lost. Hasan is the sitting Vice President of Millbourne Borough Council.

According to the DA's office, investigators say Hasan's actions resulted in about three dozen fraudulent ballots, which could have swayed results in the low-turnout election. Despite this, Hasan lost the race by nearly 30 votes to Mayor Mahabubul A. Tayub.

Pennsylvania’s online voter registration system is set up so that voters can register and alter information only for themselves. To register to vote or change information, voters must provide their date of birth, address, and Social Security number or driver’s license number. The online system can also be used to request a mail-in ballot.

According to authorities, Hasan and his allies persuaded many of their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances to show them their driver’s licenses or other documents in order to obtain the person information necessary to gain access to the online system. Others had identifying information taken non-consensually and used in furtherance of the fraud, the DA's office said.

Hasan then used Pennsylvania’s online voter registration system to change the registration address for those individuals, according to authorities.

The criminal complaint filed against Hasan alleges he not only changed nonresidents' voter registrations, but also had their mail-in ballots sent to himself and a small group of his allies.

Hasan then allegedly filled out the ballots, voting for himself, and returned them to Delaware County voter services, according to the DA's office.

Jim Allen, the Delaware County Elections Director, said the county cooperated in the investigation after concerns were raised in 2021. The prosecutions, he said, should serve as a deterrent to others tempted to break the rules.

"I view this as evidence that investigators are not going to let passage of time or the lack of an impact on the election result prevent them from pursuing the case, however long it takes," Allen said.

The scheme, which required knowledge of personal information, Allen said, is "exceedingly rare."

Court records for Hasan show his case is inactive in Delaware County.