Chinese student in Michigan charged with illegal voting

A Chinese student at the University of Michigan has been charged after voting illegally in the U.S. election, but his vote will still be counted because it’s no longer possible to find his ballot, according to local officials.

The suspect, a 19-year-old man whose name was not immediately released, is a student at the University of Michigan. Although he is legally present in the United States, he is not a U.S. citizen, which means he’s not eligible to vote.

The man used his student identification and other documents relating to his residency to register to vote at the University of Michigan. He also signed a document in which he falsely identified himself as a U.S. citizen.

The student went on to vote at the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor on Sunday, according to city officials. But later in the day, he contacted the local clerk, asking if it was still possible to retrieve his ballot.

The clerk then contacted law enforcement, which led to an investigation. The student was later charged with Unauthorized Elector Attempting To Vote and Perjury – Making a False Affidavit for Purpose of Securing Voter Registration. Those charges are punishable by up to 19 years in prison.

It was not immediately clear whether the student knew he was breaking the law when he registered to vote.

Because of the way the system is designed, it is no longer possible to retrieve his ballot, which means his vote will be counted when polls close on Tuesday night. It’s unknown who the student may have voted for.

“Noncitizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event … Even less common is a noncitizen actually casting a ballot,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit said in a joint statement. “When it does happen, we take it extremely seriously.”