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Vermilion County woman sentenced for voting twice in federal election

Vermilion County woman sentenced for voting twice in federal election

A vote-by-mail drop box is pictured in Sangamon County, blocks away from the Illinois State Capitol. Photo: Capitol News Illinois/Jerry Nowicki


Urbana, IL (WAND) – A Hoopeston woman has been sentenced for voting twice in a federal election.

Brenda Knuth, 61, was sentenced on June 26 to 3 years probation and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.

On Jan. 30, 2026, Knuth pleaded guilty to voting more than once in a federal election. She admitted she voted early in the November 2024 general election and then voted on election day as well. Candidates for federal office were on the ballot in the 2025 general election. After voting on election day, Knuth posted on Facebook she “tested the system and it failed.” She admitted to an FBI agent that she knew she was not supposed to vote twice.

Knuth’s only prior conviction was in Vermilion County in 2025 for unlawful possession of an alligator.

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