The case highlighted the limitations of the Department of Elections in guarding against fraud on the petitions candidates file to get on the ballot. State staff did what they could, said lawyer Jeffrey Breit, who argued the case for the Democratic Party. But if fake signatures hadn’t been revealed by voters, it’s likely the state wouldn’t have caught it. In total, lawyers for the state Democratic Party estimated 493 signatures shouldn’t be counted for Brown’s inclusion on the ballot, according to a Sept. 3 court filing. But Nichols and his department don’t have the means to check for fraud or fix it, lawyers pointed out.