Chinese citizen charged after allegedly voting illegally in key battleground state; vote will be counted

A Chinese citizen, who attends the University of Michigan, was charged for allegedly voting illegally successful the cardinal battleground authorities of Michigan – and that student's ballot volition inactive beryllium counted.

A spokesperson for the Michigan Secretary of State confirmed to Fox News Digital that the Chinese national voted astatine a polling spot astatine the University of Michigan Museum of Art connected Sunday, Oct. 27.

The state's apical authorities condemned the 19-year-old's actions, saying that since the antheral is not a U.S. citizen, helium cannot ballot in national elections.

"Only U.S. citizens tin registry and ballot successful our elections. It is amerciable to prevarication connected immoderate registration forms oregon voting applications astir one’s citizenship status. Doing truthful is simply a felony," Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit wrote successful a associated statement.

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Voters formed their ballots during Michigan's aboriginal voting play connected October 29, 2024, successful Dearborn, Michigan.  (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Despite the information that the Chinese citizen's ballot was formed illegally, it is expected to beryllium counted successful the upcoming election.

Andrew McCarthy, a Fox News contributor and a erstwhile Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, told Fox News Digital that it is expected to number due to the fact that determination is nary mode for predetermination officials to retrieve it erstwhile it's been enactment done a tabulator.

"The happening is, due to the fact that of the imperative of elector secrecy, the ballot does not person an identifying PIN fig oregon different benignant of identifying accusation that would alteration idiosyncratic afterward to fig retired who voted for whom," helium said. "That's our dedication to the concealed ballot."

"But what it means is if the idiosyncratic passes the recognition and qualification facet of the aboriginal voting and gets to capable retired the ballot, the ballot past goes into a tabulator, and it gets counted due to the fact that there's nary mode to spell backmost and retrieve it and say, 'this is the ballot that shouldn't person been voted.' And that's the occupation here."

Andrew McCarthy, a Fox News contributor and a erstwhile Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, discussed with Fox News Digital predetermination integrity. (Fox News Digital)

McCarthy said that the anticipation is that determination is "enough predetermination information that this volition hap fewer capable times that it won't impact the integrity of the results."

"But the different important thing, and I don't deliberation there's capable of this, is it's a usurpation of both authorities law and national instrumentality for an alien to attest that helium is an American national for purposes of being allowed to registry to vote," helium said. "And past federally, astatine least, it's a transgression for a non-American to vote, astatine slightest if it's done knowingly."

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"You've got to bring these cases due to the fact that radical person to beryllium alert that there's a terms to beryllium paid if you ballot illegally," helium said. "And if you don't bring those cases, past you're not truly being superior astir predetermination integrity."

Applications to ballot are disposable connected a check-in array astatine a polling determination wherever voters formed their ballots during Michigan's aboriginal voting play connected October 29, 2024, successful Dearborn, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

The Chinese citizen, whose individuality was not released, was charged with perjury aft making a mendacious connection for the intent of securing a elector registration and with being an unauthorized elector who attempted to vote.

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According to Michigan law, the unauthorized elector complaint is simply a felony that is punishable by up to 4 years with a good of up to $2,000.

Democrat Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said successful a statement that her bureau has launched an "independent, parallel investigation" into the situation.

A Chinese national was charged for allegedly voting illegally successful Michigan.  (iStock)

McCarthy highlighted wherefore helium believes voting in-person on Election Day is champion – and the astir unafraid option.

"I deliberation the safest mode to ballot and, frankly, the champion mode to vote, is connected Election Day due to the fact that it means that we're each voting with the aforesaid information," helium said. "When you person radical voting six weeks earlier the election, we're not adjacent voting with the aforesaid accusation due to the fact that a batch of important things hap successful the run-up to the election."

"But much importantly, for the purposes that we're talking about, determination was ever a presumption successful the instrumentality that said, for information purposes, we similar that you travel into the precinct connected Election Day and vote. That's however we tin unafraid it the best," helium said. "What I deliberation is unspeakable is we've not lone gotten distant from the thought that everybody should ballot astatine the polls, but we're present taking the adjacent step. If you ballot remotely, and you marque an error, that, you know, progressive Democrats determine it's trivial, adjacent though it involves a process that's successful spot precisely to support the integrity of elections, we should forgive that, oregon it should beryllium the government's responsibility that you made the mistake."

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"And I deliberation that the presumption radical ought to beryllium taking, due to the fact that this was ever the presumption that was successful our law, is travel successful and ballot connected Election Day. But if you don't privation to ballot connected Election Day and you privation to instrumentality vantage of these different means of voting, fine. But each jot and tittle of the rules is for you to comply with."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the University of Michigan, the Michigan Attorney General's bureau and the Department of Justice for comment.