The records also revealed that 142 ballots cast at the Election Board office downtown did not have envelopes. That revelation became the crux of the Franks case.

Dueker in her arguments before Burlison and the appellate court, argued that because the original results were thrown out, a much smaller number of voters will determine the outcome of the election.

"It is voter suppression," she has repeatedly said.

The Post-Dispatch investigation led to a formal review of the election by Secretary of State Jason Kander's office. The state's highest election official called on Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce to review each absentee ballot cast in the state representative race to determine if there were any violations of election law. The review findings came after Joyce's office had already disclosed it was investigating the case. The prosecutor's office has conducted a series of interviews, some of them before a grand jury, to determine if there was any criminal wrong doing.

In Kander's report, the secretary of state's office said it would remain in contact with the Election Board as it conducts a special election "to ensure that every eligible voter has a right to vote and only eligible voters have that opportunity."