Days before Americans head to the polls, the Justice Department is sending a loud message about who gets to cast a ballot in a federal election: U.S. citizens, and only U.S. citizens.
On Thursday, October 29, the Department announced that 18 more noncitizens in North Carolina have been charged with illegally voting, including one person the Department described as an illegal alien. The new cases bring the total number of people charged in North Carolina this year for illegal voting to 30.
Charges in all three federal districts
The new cases stretch across the entire state. Nine people were charged in the Eastern District of North Carolina, five in the Middle District, and four in the Western District. Most of those charged are lawful permanent residents, meaning green card holders, who are not U.S. citizens and are not allowed to vote in federal elections.
According to the Justice Department, the defendants come from a wide range of countries, including Guatemala, Kenya, Bermuda, Jamaica, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Greece, the Netherlands, Mexico, Cuba, Barbados, Argentina, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, France, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Some allegedly voted for decades
Several of the cases involve years of alleged illegal voting. Prosecutors say one Kenyan-born green card holder in Harnett County registered in 2008 and voted in nine general elections, from 2008 through 2024, plus nine primary elections. A Bermuda native in Wake County allegedly registered in 2000 and voted in 12 general elections, going back to the 2000 election.
The Guatemalan man described as an illegal alien, who lives in Robeson County, is accused of registering in 2020 and voting in both the 2020 and 2024 general elections.
“Illegal voting is just that: illegal”
“Illegal voting is just that: illegal,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. “If you’re not an American citizen, you cannot vote in our federal elections.”
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle of the Eastern District didn’t mince words either: “If you vote illegally, we are looking, we will find out, and we will prosecute you.”
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson of the Western District pointed out why every ballot matters, noting that in North Carolina’s 2025 municipal elections, 14 races were decided by two votes, 15 races by a single vote, and seven races ended in a tie.
What the charges carry
Falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Voting as a noncitizen carries up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the cases.
As with any criminal case, the charges are accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
With the midterms just days away on November 3, the message from federal prosecutors is clear: they are watching the voter rolls, and they intend to keep American elections in American hands.