Gracie Gato Seeks Dismissal of Voting Fraud Charges, Claims She Was Just Helping Her Dead Mom Vote

Gracie Gato, a 45-year-old podcaster from Hudson, New Hampshire, is fighting back against criminal charges accusing her of illegal voting. The case centers on Gato’s attempt to obtain an absentee ballot for her mother, Ruby Cecilia Ponce, who had died a week prior.

Gato’s attorney, William Aivalikles, filed a motion to dismiss the charges before the case goes to trial in Nashua District Court. The defense argues that New Hampshire law does not criminalize lawful assistance to voters seeking absentee ballots, especially elderly voters who may need help.

“The statute criminalizes intentional voter impersonation and wrongful voting. It does not criminalize lawful assistance provided to a voter completing an absentee ballot application,” Aivalikles wrote.

But Assistant Attorney General David Lovejoy fired back, emphasizing a key fact the defense conveniently overlooks: Ponce was deceased at the time of the ballot request. “Her mother was deceased and obviously could no longer vote, with or without any assistance,” Lovejoy wrote. He questioned what Gato intended to do with a ballot issued in her dead mother’s name.

Court records show Ponce died on October 15, 2024. On October 21, Gato posted about her mother’s death on her blog and on the same day went to the Hudson town clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot for Ponce. When the clerk refused to hand over the ballot, explaining it would be mailed, Gato reportedly became upset and revealed her mother had passed away.

In a 2025 blog post, Gato admitted to seeking the absentee ballot but claimed she never intended to cast a vote. Instead, she described the act as a ritual of grief, writing, “When she passed, I went to the Hudson town clerk’s office to retrieve her absentee ballot — not to fill it out, not to submit it, but to bury it with her.”

The court now faces the challenge of separating Gato’s personal grief from the legal implications of her actions. Originally scheduled for a March trial, proceedings were delayed due to her attorney’s medical issues, with no new date set yet.

Adding another layer to this saga, Gato was recently named communications director for Democratic Rep. Ellen Read of Newmarket. Read, known for her controversial antics including a scandal-ridden flotilla to Hamas-controlled Gaza and a pagan statue display at the State House, is the only rank-and-file House member with a dedicated communications staffer.

Gato’s role with Read could prove demanding given the lawmaker’s erratic behavior and recent partial ban from the House chamber. This development raises questions about the company Gato keeps as she fights serious allegations of voting fraud.

This case spotlights the ongoing tensions and legal battles surrounding absentee voting, a flashpoint in the broader fight over election integrity and voting rights. It also underscores how personal grief can collide with the harsh realities of law enforcement in the charged arena of American elections.