Woman arrested in Las Vegas for alleged voter fraud

A wide-eyed Roxanne Rubin was led away from the Riviera in handcuffs Friday, accused by Nevada election officials of voter fraud.

Agents from the state's multi-jurisdictional Elections Integrity Task Force with FBI assistance arrested Rubin, 56. She is charged with trying to vote more than once in the same election, a felony. She was booked at the Clark County Detention Center.

"Everyone knows something but me," she said, as she stared at a gaggle of media outlets snapping photos and recording video.

Clad in a black pencil skirt and lacy white top, Rubin appeared stunned as she was escorted by armed law enforcement officers and placed in the back of an unmarked car parked in the valet area.

"I have no idea why I'm here," Rubin said.

Rubin, a Henderson resident according to voter records, was arriving for work at the Riviera when she was arrested. An online search indicates she is a casino host.

The secretary of state said Rubin voted Monday at the Anthem Community Center in Henderson. Later that day, she is alleged to have appeared at a Las Vegas polling station at 9725 S. Eastern Ave., and attempted to vote a second time. A records search showed she already had voted, but Rubin insisted she had not and should be allowed to cast a ballot. Poll workers did not allow it.

The Nevada attorney general filed the criminal complaint Friday in Las Vegas Justice Court.

"There are two important points worth noting in this case," Secretary of State Ross Miller said in a statement. "First, is that as we've said and demonstrated in the past, we take all elections complaints very seriously and investigate them thoroughly. Second, this demonstrates the integrity of the system. Someone thought that by going to two different locations they'd be able to cast two ballots. The system immediately caught that, the Task Force responded, and an arrest was made. It's also worth noting that the Task Force has at least one other case of voting or attempting to vote twice in an election presently under investigation. We will pursue all such cases and complaints aggressively."

Miller declined further comment Friday evening, saying once the investigation is completed, the case will be forwarded either to the Nevada attorney general or the U.S. attorney's office.

"The system apparently works," Miller said. "There were safeguards in place to detect her and stop her."

According to the secretary of state's website, the task force was created in 2008 to address voter fraud or intimidation during the registration and voting processes.

The arrest came on the last day of early voting in Nevada and four days before Tuesday's presidential election.

Larry Lomax, Clark County registrar of voters, said Rubin is a registered Republican. In his 15 years with the Election Department, Lomax said, he has not seen a voter fraud arrest. Other incidents have been investigated, but most cases ended up to be seniors who didn't realize they voted, he said.

"It is my belief there was (intent)." Lomax said.

Contact Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.