According to Board of Elections records, Renee and Robert Barsch live in a home on Staten Island and are members of the state Independence Party. But when we rang the bell, a man named Rudy Valentino answered.

"They're previous owner from four years ago," Valentino said.

The Barschs, he says, moved to California. Yet the Barschs' signatures appeared, with their old address, on Independence Party petitions submitted last month on behalf of several Staten Island candidates seeking the to appear on the Independence Party's ballot line in the November election.

The signatures also look different than the signatures on the Barschs' old voter registration cards.

"So someone's trying to pull a fast one," Valentino said.

Down the block at 833 Rathbun Avenue, according to Board of Elections records, is where a woman named Hana Line lives. But the woman who answered the door tells us Hana Line died three years ago. Yet, an Independence party ballot petition submitted last month contains a signature that is supposed to be hers.

And then there is Joseph Ranieri. His signature appeared on a petition, too. But when we showed him a copy of the petition, he said he never signed it.

"I don't use, like, that kind of like spelling, you know," he said. "I use, this is definitely mine, I use like that J, and like, this one's, like, bubbly. I don't use that." 

NY1 found several other questionable signatures of supposed Independence Party members on the petitions.

The name of Frank Morano, a prominent Staten Island political operative and radio talk show host, is listed on the petitions as having collected the signatures. Morano is chairman of the Staten Island Reform Party, but he often helps Republicans.

The petitions were submitted to get three Republicans, surrogate court candidate Ron Castorina, assembly hopeful Mike Reilly and state senate candidate Andrew Lanza, spots on the Independence Party's ballot line.

Morano's signature appears under a section of the petitions attesting to the fact the voters identified as signing them did so in his presence. 

A Board of Elections official says forging signatures on ballot petitions violates election law.

NY1 called Morano three times leaving messages, and texted, emailed and tweeted at him seeking comment. He did not get back to us.

The Board of Elections tells NY1 it has no comment.