Non-citizen allegedly cast ballot in Michigan, faces criminal charges

A non-citizen allegedly cast a ballot in Michigan and is facing criminal charges, according to the Michigan secretary of state's office.

The non-citizen allegedly registered to vote and cast a ballot at an Ann Arbor early voting site on Sunday, per a joint statement from the Washtenaw County prosecutor’s office and the Michigan secretary of state's office. The alleged non-citizen voter faces charges of Unauthorized Elector Attempting To Vote and Perjury – Making a False Affidavit for Purpose of Securing Voter Registration.

"Only U.S. citizens can register and vote in our elections," the statement reads. "It is illegal to lie on any registration forms or voting applications about one’s citizenship status. Doing so is a felony.

"We are grateful for the swift action of the clerk in this case, who took the appropriate steps and referred the case to law enforcement. We are also grateful to law enforcement for swiftly and thoroughly investigating this case. Anyone who attempts to vote illegally faces significant consequences, including but not limited to arrest and prosecution," the offices said.

"Noncitizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event. Investigations in multiple states and nationwide have found no evidence of large numbers of noncitizens registering to vote. Even less common is a noncitizen actually casting a ballot. When it does happen, we take it extremely seriously. Our elections are secure and Michigan’s state and local election officials carefully follow the law."

The Detroit News reported that the voter is a University of Michigan student from China. The Michigan secretary of state's office said the student contacted the local clerk's office to see if he could get his ballot back, according to the news outlet. The ballot is expected to count because it cannot be traced back to the voter who cast it.