Pahrump woman arrested, accused of voter registration fraud

By Michelle Rindels, Associated Press

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 | 6:50 p.m.

A Pahrump woman who helped register people to vote outside of a Wal-Mart and grocery stores has been arrested on suspicion of falsifying registration forms and preventing at least one person from participating in the primary.

Tina Marie Parks, 45, was arrested on suspicion of 11 felony counts including intimidating voters and perjury, Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske said Wednesday. She was in custody Wednesday with bail set at $100,000, Nye County sheriff's officials said. It wasn't clear if she had an attorney.

The complaint says Parks was registering voters as part of Engage Nevada, a conservative voter registration group, when she marked "Republican" or "nonpartisan" on forms of people who said they were Democrats or didn't specify their party affiliation. Investigators said it happened to at least three people, including at least one person who was unable to vote in the June 14 primary as a result, Nye County sheriff's officials said.

The complaint also accuses her of trying to register herself on several occasions, even though she has felony drug and attempted burglary convictions and doesn't have the right to vote. Nevada law prohibits agencies from knowingly employing people whose duties include voter registration if they've been convicted of certain felonies involving theft or fraud.

Representatives with Engage Nevada said they strive for the highest standards and planned to fully cooperate with the investigation.

"We have been registering Nevada voters since 2013, and we have employed over 250 hardworking staff throughout the state since our founding," the group said in a statement. "They have participated and continue to participate in extensive training and quality control to ensure that they comply with both the letter and the spirit of the law."

Cegavske encouraged Nye County voters to visit the Secretary of State website and verify that their registrations are accurate.

The matter was investigated by state authorities with help from the FBI.