Canton Township man sentenced to probation for forging daughter's name on absentee ballot

A Canton Township man who forged his daughter’s signature on an absentee ballot for the November 2020 election was sentenced to 90 days of probation on Tuesday.

Paul Parana, 47, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor election law. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dismissed charges of impersonating a voter and election law forgery, felony counts that carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

“While voter fraud rarely occurs, we are vigilant in pursuing such activity when it does,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “This is an example of how my office reviews legitimate claims of voter fraud to discover the facts and prosecute according to the law.”

Parana filled out his daughter’s absentee ballots “as she instructed” and forged her name on the back of the envelope before mailing it to the Canton Township Clerk’s Office, Nessel's office said.

The clerk’s office accepted the ballot after contacting Parana’s daughter and obtaining her signature on the ballot.

Michigan election officials noted there was no evidence of widespread fraud, refuting baseless claims made by President Donald Trump and the Michigan Republican Party.

“Michigan’s election was the most secure in our state’s history, and the results accurately reflect the will of the voters,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “Despite unprecedented scrutiny we continue to affirm the security and integrity of the process with our zero tolerance policy for any incident of fraud.”

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