Michigan prosecutors have charged a Chinese citizen with voter fraud and perjury, alleging he cast a ballot in the 2024 election, authorities announced Wednesday.
According to sources familiar with the case, the 19-year-old student, living in Ann Arbor and attending the University of Michigan, is not a U.S. citizen and therefore is ineligible to vote in federal elections. The announcement from Michigan’s secretary of state, attorney general, and Ann Arbor prosecutors follows recent concerns from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans about non-citizen voting. Experts, however, assert that illegal voting by non-citizens is exceedingly rare and typically caught quickly.
The student reportedly cast his ballot on Sunday, later contacting election officials the same day to retrieve it. He registered at the polling location with his university ID and documents verifying his residency in Ann Arbor, utilizing same-day registration, according to sources. The Detroit News initially reported these details.
The student is legally in the U.S., but a conviction could potentially lead to deportation, legal experts suggest. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit emphasized in a joint statement that while non-citizen voting is rare, any instance will be prosecuted rigorously. They warned that any non-citizen attempting to vote fraudulently faces significant risk under Michigan law.
Michigan investigators are examining whether the incident was an isolated mistake or part of a broader interference effort, with federal authorities also involved. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced an “independent, parallel investigation” into the matter.
The student, whose identity has not been disclosed, faces charges of illegally attempting to vote and perjury, both felony offenses. However, his ballot, processed through a tabulator and now indistinguishable from others, will count, according to Washtenaw County Clerk Lawrence Kestenbaum. Once cast, ballots are anonymized to maintain secrecy, making it impossible to reverse individual votes.
The Michigan GOP criticized Democrats for not requiring proof of citizenship to vote. Election law expert Ciara Torres-Spelliscy noted that the secret ballot prevents retroactively identifying individual ballots, a safeguard against vote-buying and other historical manipulations.
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