A senior Canadian national found himself on the wrong side of legal lines after the Orange County District Attorney charged him with unlawful participation in the democratic process ordained for citizens alone. Robert Soutar, a 76-year-old Fullerton resident and legal permanent resident of the United States, was accused of casting ballots in the 2016 primary and general elections without holding the requisite U.S. citizenship, as reported by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Charges laid out against Soutar include one felony count of perjury, two felony counts of violating the California Elections Code, and one felony count of voter registration fraud, as detailed by the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Although Soutar is registered to vote in Orange County, it appears the checks that should bar ineligible individuals failed—a fact that came to light only through an election fraud hotline. It's currently undisputed that Soutar refrained from voting in the latest fray of electioneering.
The vigilance of our electoral system underpins the very legitimacy of governance, a sentiment echoed by Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, who expressed zero tolerance for infringement upon the sanctity of the ballot. "The privilege to vote is one of the most sacred rights we have as American citizens," said Spitzer, the Orange County District Attorney's Office stated. Thorough investigations await any whisper of electoral manipulation. Heather Heslep-Morrissey, Deputy District Attorney of the Special Prosecutions Unit, shoulders the responsibility of bringing the case to a close.
