Michigan's Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit has filed charges against a non-U.S. citizen, a University of Michigan student from China, for allegedly registering to vote and casting a ballot during the recent general election. The charges include one count of unauthorized elector attempting to vote and one count of making a false statement on voter registration forms, as reported by CBS News and Detroit Free Press.
During early voting on Sunday, the student apparently used his university ID among other documents to register and voted at an on-campus site in Ann Arbor. A joint statement from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Prosecutor Savit emphasized the rarity of noncitizen voting, stating, "Noncitizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event," and confirming their commitment to election security. This information was corroborated by sources in an interview with FOX 2 Detroit.
The ballot cast by the individual likely will be counted, as Michigan law does not permit retraction after processing in the tabulator. This revelation provokes concerns over the integrity of the election, despite state officials' confidence in their systems to detect such irregularities. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has initiated an independent inquiry into the incident, promising a thorough examination.
Amidst this controversy, reactions have been forthcoming from political figures and legal experts alike. Bill McGinley, the attorney for election integrity for former President Donald Trump's campaign, expressed urgency in enhancing voter roll accuracy and utilizing federal databases to verify citizenship. Conversely, a spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, Kevin Munoz, emphasized prioritizing voter protection and ensuring eligible Americans can vote, as told to FOX 2 Detroit.
