Chinese International Student in the U.S. Illegally Votes, Charged with Two Crimes

Illustrative image: The early voting site at the "Boy Scouts Club" on 41st Road in Flushing, New York City. (Li Linzhao / Dajiyuan)

People News — On Wednesday (October 30), Michigan authorities announced charges against a non-U.S. citizen who illegally registered as a voter and cast a ballot in the 2024 election. The Detroit News reported that this individual is a Chinese international student at the University of Michigan.

According to Voice of America, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit issued a joint statement: “On Sunday, October 27, an alleged illegal act involving a non-U.S. citizen occurred at an early voting site in Ann Arbor, after which the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office approved criminal charges, including: (1) Attempting to vote as an unauthorized elector… (2) Perjury—providing a false affidavit for voter registration purposes…”

The statement added, “Only U.S. citizens may register and vote in our elections. Lying about citizenship on any registration form or voting application is illegal. This behavior constitutes a felony.”

This official statement did not specify the individual’s nationality or name. However, The Detroit News reported that he is a 19-year-old Chinese citizen studying at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The report stated that he is legally residing in the U.S. but is not a U.S. citizen and thus ineligible to vote. The report indicated that on Sunday, he registered as a voter, used his University of Michigan student ID and other documents to prove residency in the state, and signed a statement claiming U.S. citizenship before voting at an early voting location.

The report said the student later contacted the local clerk’s office to inquire about retracting his vote. However, as the ballot had already been entered into the counting system, it could not be withdrawn and will be included in the vote count for this election.

John Moolenaar, a Republican congressman from Michigan and chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, issued a statement on Wednesday regarding the “Chinese citizen illegally voting in Michigan.”

In his statement, the Republican congressman accused Michigan Democratic leaders of undermining public trust in the election. He added, “The University of Michigan should expel this student for violating our laws, and our state leaders need to take serious action against the CCP’s attempts to influence our state. Secretary of State Benson must explain how she will prevent similar election fraud next week and ensure our elections are free from CCP interference.”

This year’s U.S. presidential election voting day is November 5, though early voting has already begun in various locations.

Congressman Moolenaar also urged Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer to “cancel the state’s $715 million taxpayer funding granted to the China-linked company Gotion and terminate its construction plans near the Grayling military camp.” He also called on the University of Michigan president to close partnership programs with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which collaborates with the Chinese military.

Moolenaar wrote, “Until these actions are taken, our state’s security, elections, universities, and automotive supply chains will remain vulnerable to CCP influence.”

Secretary of State Benson and Prosecutor Savit, both Democrats, stated in a joint release, “We appreciate the swift action of the clerk in this case, who took appropriate steps and referred the case to law enforcement. We also thank law enforcement 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.”

They added, “Non-citizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event. Investigations in multiple states and nationally have found no evidence of significant numbers of non-citizens registering to vote. Instances of non-citizens actually casting votes are even rarer. When such cases do occur, we take them extremely seriously. Our elections are secure, and Michigan state and local election officials strictly comply with the law.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, also a Democrat, announced on Wednesday that, as with prior cases related to election law, the state Department of Justice has launched an independent parallel investigation into the matter.

In her statement, she noted, “It is the responsibility of every resident of this state and this country to comply with the law. Michigan election law clearly states that non-citizens may not vote in our elections. We take all allegations of voter fraud extremely seriously, as does the public at large.”