South Cle Elum Man Accused Of Forging Dead Mother’s Signature On Elections Ballot

A Kittitas County man is facing felony charges after police say he forged the signature of his deceased mother on an elections ballot and returned it to his local auditor's office two years ago.

The Ellensburg Daily Record reports that 70-year-old Edward Thomas Pettee of South Cle Elum was scheduled for arraignment on forgery charges in Kittitas County Superior Court this week.

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into Pettee in December, 2025, after receiving reports that a potentially-forged ballot had been submitted on Oct. 25, 2024 in connection with that year's General Election.

Investigators claim the signature appearing on the ballot in question did not match those of the signatory from previous elections in 2003, 2008, and 2009.

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The allegedly-forged ballot belonged to Pettee's elderly mother, whom he claims asked him to sign it on her behalf after she became incapacitated due to a severe illness, according to court records.

Further investigation revealed that Pettee's mother had actually passed away 11 days prior to the date which he allegedly provided on her behalf on the ballot.

When questioned about this inconsistency by detectives, Pettee reportedly said he didn't know why the date supplied was posthumous to his mother's death.

Pattee also reportedly told investigators he "helped" his mother in making decisions about who and what to vote for on her own ballot.