A Chinese student studying at the University of Michigan finds himself in legal hot water after allegedly voting early in an election on Sunday despite being a non-citizen. According to The Detroit News, his ballot will still be counted despite the student’s non-citizen status—a detail likely to raise some eyebrows. Michigan’s Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County’s prosecutor’s office filed charges against this 19-year-old student, who remains unnamed. He’s here legally on a Green Card, but that doesn’t grant him the right to vote. Somehow, though, he managed to get a ballot and cast his vote.
Afterwards, it seems he got a case of voter’s remorse, as he reportedly contacted the clerk’s office asking if he could retract his ballot. By then, however, it was already too late; once a ballot goes through the tabulator, it’s in for good. This oversight is due to Michigan election laws which prevent ballots from being traced back to specific voters, supposedly to protect anonymity.
Michigan’s voter ID policy is fairly relaxed, accepting student photo IDs and even allowing individuals to sign an affidavit if they don’t have any ID handy. This setup could make some wonder how many others could slip through similar cracks in such a critical state. With Michigan playing a crucial role in the upcoming election, and both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s campaigns hyper-focused on the state, this incident is unlikely to go unnoticed.
The student now faces charges of perjury for allegedly providing false information on an affidavit and attempting to vote as an unauthorized elector. These charges carry serious consequences—up to four years in prison for the latter and potentially 15 years for perjury. Secretary Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit praised the clerk’s quick response, stating they’re thankful for law enforcement’s swift handling of the matter, and stressed that anyone trying to vote illegally could face hefty consequences.
Ann Arbor City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. added his take on the situation in a message to the city council, noting that the student apparently knew full well what he was doing and that it wasn’t legal.
