Although the ballot was illegally cast, the vote is still expected to be counted because the ballot cannot be retrieved by election officials once it is put into a tabulator.
A 19-year-old Chinese student at the University of Michigan, who is not a US citizen, is facing charges after allegedly voting on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office issued a joint statement confirming the charges against the unnamed student, who is legally present in the country but ineligible to vote as a non-citizen. The 19-year-old student reportedly registered to vote on Sunday and signed a document affirming US citizenship before submitting a ballot into a tabulator. However, he later contacted the local clerk’s office and asked if he could get his ballot back.
Although the ballot was illegally cast, the vote is still expected to be counted because the ballot cannot be retrieved by election officials once it is put into a tabulator, according to a report by The Detroit News. The system is set up to prevent ballots from being traced back to an individual voter after they are cast.
“We’re grateful for the swift action of the clerk in this case, who took the appropriate steps and referred the case to law enforcement,” a joint statement from the offices of Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit said. "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 statement added.
The student is now facing charges of perjury for making a false statement on an affidavit to register to vote. The standard penalty for perjury is 15 years in prison. Additionally, the student is also being charged with being an unauthorized elector attempting to vote—a felony punishable by up to four years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
This incident comes as Michigan remains a pivotal battleground state in the upcoming election. Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2016 by less than 11,000 votes, while Biden captured the state in 2020 with a 3 percent margin or 154,188 votes. Current polling between Trump and Kamala Harris suggests the race could once again be highly competitive.
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