The Justice Department has recently charged 64 foreign nationals across 17 states with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and election-related crimes in what appears to be an increased effort to ensure election integrity. This surge of charges has taken place over the last five weeks, as reported by various sources.
Leading the pack, Minnesota has 11 defendants, followed closely by Pennsylvania with 10 and Texas with nine. Louisiana comes in with five charged individuals, while New Jersey, California, and Florida each have four. These statistics reflect an ongoing nationwide effort by federal officials to tighten scrutiny on voter-registration processes ahead of the midterm elections in November. There’s a sense that even a handful of illegal votes can make a significant impact on close races.
In fact, during the Iowa 2020 congressional race, which was reportedly decided by just six votes, a DOJ spokesperson noted that “every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen.” It turns out that the DOJ is pursuing more than double the amount of election-fraud cases each week compared to that six-vote margin.
“Voting by noncitizens and other ineligible voters is a federal crime,” the spokesperson said repeatedly, emphasizing the department’s commitment to enforcing these laws regardless of the number of illegal votes involved.
The nature of the allegations spans a wide range—including fraudulent voter registrations and individuals casting ballots in multiple elections. Some cases have reached guilty pleas, like that of Evelyn Miller, a Filipino national who admitted to voting illegally in the 2024 presidential election. She now faces potential prison time and a hefty fine.
Legal actions have also emerged in Republican-led states, like Texas and Louisiana, which collectively account for several defendants. For example, in Louisiana, an ex-mayoral candidate has been indicted on charges related to voting as a noncitizen, allegedly submitting fraudulent registration applications to vote in the 2024 elections.
In New Jersey, there’s been a separate controversy involving around 6,600 individuals who reportedly indicated they were not citizens but were still registered to vote through clerical errors in the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission. Interestingly, fewer than 400 actually cast ballots, according to local administration. Meanwhile, recent municipal elections in New Jersey have been tightly contested, highlighting the importance of every vote.
As federal authorities ramp up their vigilance on voter registration ahead of the November midterms, it remains unclear whether any fraudulent votes tallied have changed election outcomes. While the scrutiny seems warranted, it’s a complex issue that continues to evolve.
