Chinese student faces criminal charges for voting in Michigan. Apparently your vote will count

A University of Michigan student who is from China and not a U.S. citizen allegedly voted early Sunday in Ann Arbor and has been charged with two felonies six days before the crucial presidential election.

On Wednesday, a statement released by the Michigan Secretary of State’s office and the Washtenaw County Attorney’s Office revealed the charges. The press release did not identify the student and described him only as a “non-U.S. citizen.”

According to information from the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, the 19-year-old from China was legally in the United States but was not a citizen, meaning he could not legally cast a ballot. According to the Secretary of State’s office, he registered to vote on Sunday, signed a document identifying himself as a U.S. citizen and his ballot was tabulated.

The UM student voter later contacted the local clerk’s office asking if he could somehow retrieve his ballot, according to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office.

It appears the student’s vote may count in the upcoming election – even though it was cast illegally – because election officials have no way of recovering it once it passes the tabulator. This setup is intended to prevent ballots from being tracked to a specific voter.

“We are grateful for the quick action of the officer in this case who took the appropriate action and referred the case to law enforcement,” said a joint statement from the offices of Benson and Washtenaw County Attorney Eli Savita. “We are also grateful to law enforcement authorities for their quick and thorough investigation of this matter.

“Anyone attempting to vote illegally will face serious consequences, including, but not limited to, arrest and prosecution.”

The individual is charged with perjury – making a false statement in an affidavit to secure voter registration – and being an ineligible voter who attempted to vote. Under Michigan law, this latest charge is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000. The standard penalty for perjury in Michigan is 15 years in prison, but it’s unclear what the penalty would be in this case of lying on an application to vote.

In a message to Ann Arbor City Council members obtained by The Detroit News, Milton Dohoney Jr., the city administrator, said there was a case of “potential voter fraud in Ann Arbor” involving a University of Michigan student who is a green cardholder.

“Through a series of actions, the student apparently was able to register, obtain a ballot and vote,” Dohoney wrote in an email Monday. “From the scenario we heard this morning, it appears that the student was fully aware of what he was doing and that it was illegal.”

Dohoney acknowledged in an email that the story could be “picked up by regional or possibly national media.”

Under 2018 ballot proposal that voters approved by 67% support, people can register to vote in Michigan up to and including Election Day, provided they are at least 18 years of age, are a U.S. citizen, a resident of Michigan and can provide proof of residency. Proof of residency may include a driver’s license, state ID card, utility bill, or university documentation. – we read on the website of the Secretary of State.

A statement posted on the Secretary of State’s website and the Washtenaw County Attorney’s Office described voting by non-U.S. citizens as “an extremely isolated and rare event.”

“Let me be clear: voting records are public,” the statement added. “Any foreigner who attempts to vote fraudulently in Michigan will be at great risk and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

In 2012, during a legal dispute over a Michigan voter proposal requiring individuals to prove U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury, then-Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson’s office said there was evidence supporting two cases in which Canadians voted in Michigan elections with using state tools issued driver’s licenses for registration.

The presidential race in Michigan between former Republican Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris expected to be close. Some experts they predicted it could be tens of thousands of votes.

In 2020, Trump lost Michigan to Democrat Joe Biden 154,188 votes, or about 3 percentage points48%-51%. After this election, the Republican maintained his position false or unsubstantiated claims that widespread voter fraud affected the result in Michigan. However, bipartisan canvassing boards, a series of court decisions and a GOP-controlled state investigation The entire Senate Oversight Committee upheld the result.

However, accusations surrounding the 2020 election helped increase control over the 2024 vote.

In recent weeks, Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter who is described as the richest man in the world, has been publishing information on Michigan’s voter rolls on social media. And at a Saturday rally in Oakland County, Trump called Michigan’s early voting system “funny” and expressed support for people who “proved” they were U.S. citizens before casting their ballot.

“Something bad is happening,” Trump insisted.

Michigan voters approved a 2022 ballot proposal to ensure a right to at least nine days of early, in-person voting in the state constitution. This amendment passed with 60% support.

Secretary of State of Michigan the website states in each state, “only U.S. citizens are eligible to register to vote or cast a ballot in any state or federal election.”

“There is no evidence to support the claim that large numbers of foreigners voted in previous elections or will register to vote in 2024.” – says the website of the Secretary of State.

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Staff writer Melissa Nann Burke contributed.