Iowa Attorney General Brenna Byrd plans to prosecute foreign nationals who were arrested and charged with alleged voter fraud in the special election.
in press release Byrd's office announced Friday that he will lead the prosecution of Jorge Oscar Sanchez Vazquez, 42, who was arrested Wednesday.
Sanchez Vasquez was arrested on “two counts of election fraud” and charged with “registering to vote and illegally voting” in the July 16, 2024, special election for city council in Marshalltown, according to a press release.
According to the indictment, Sanchez Vasquez allegedly signed a voter registration form swearing that he was a U.S. citizen and would vote legally. According to of The Des Moines Register.
Sanchez Vazquez reportedly voted despite knowing that he was “not eligible to vote.”
Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips confirmed that Sanchez Vasquez “knew fully” that she was ineligible to vote in the election. According to The Times Republican.
According to the media, Phillips' office began the investigation after receiving reports of allegations of voter fraud from Marshall County Attorney Jordan Gaffney and Marshall County Auditor-Recorder Nan Benson.
Marshall County Auditor Nan Benson and Attorney Jordan Gaffney notified the sheriff of the alleged activity. From there, the sheriff's office investigated and then turned it over to the Iowa Attorney General, who has jurisdiction over such matters. Until 2023, election fraud cases were prosecuted by county prosecutors.
The “District Court action” is reportedly scheduled for Oct. 2, 2024, according to a press release.
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Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the man charged is a foreign national but is in the country legally, according to authorities.
