Official announcements from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or court records

Chinese Student, 19, Charged After Illegally Voting in Michigan; Ballot Cannot Be Retrieved

Oct 30, 2024, 08:55 PM

A 19-year-old University of Michigan student from China, who is not a U.S. citizen, has been charged with perjury and attempting to vote as an unauthorized elector after casting a ballot in Ann Arbor on Sunday. The student registered using his student identification and documents establishing residency, signing an affidavit affirming U.S. citizenship. He later contacted the city clerk's office to retract his ballot, leading to the discovery of the illegal vote. Despite this, election officials stated that his ballot will count because there is no mechanism to retrieve it once processed through the tabulator. The incident has raised concerns over the lack of citizenship verification in Michigan's voter registration process. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit issued a joint statement addressing the charges.