CROWN POINT | The Lake County election board on Tuesday dismissed a complaint of voting fraud against tax activist James Premeske.

Dave Woerpel, a Hammond precinct committeeman, and Steve Fowler, a Hammond political activist, had alleged Premeske illegally voted from an address in Hammond while actually residing in Schererville. They said there is little evidence of water use or other signs the Hammond house is occupied regularly.

However, election board attorney Fred Work advised the five-member panel that Woerpel and Fowler's testimony last month failed to rise to the burden of proof needed that Premeske was violating a state law requiring voters to reside in the precinct in which they vote.

The board voted 4-1 to follow that opinion. Democratic election board member Alfonso Salinas cast the sole opposing vote.

Premeske said he has been living in Hammond since joining Team Hammond, a tax watchdog group, and denounced Woerpel and Fowler, saying their allegations damaged his reputation.

In other business, Pat Gabrione, a Republican election board member, demanded Tuesday that county election officials provide a progress report on the changes being made to speed the vote count for the Nov. 4 general election.

The county came under heavy criticism during the May 6 primary because it failed to release voting results during the national media evening news cycle.