Ann Arbor, Michigan – A Chinese student residing in Ann Arbor has been charged with voter fraud and perjury after allegedly casting a ballot in the 2024 election, Michigan officials announced Wednesday. The 19-year-old University of Michigan student, who is not a U.S. citizen, registered and voted on Sunday, prompting legal action from the Michigan Secretary of State and Attorney General, along with local prosecutors.

Authorities clarified that the suspect, though legally residing in the U.S., is ineligible to vote in federal elections. Following the vote, the student reportedly attempted to retrieve the ballot, raising questions among local election officials. According to sources, the student used his university ID and other documentation to register at the polling site, apparently unaware of the ineligibility issue. The Detroit News initially reported the incident details.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit emphasized that such cases are rare and taken seriously. “Investigations in multiple states and nationwide have found no evidence of large numbers of non-citizens registering to vote. Even less common is a non-citizen actually casting a ballot. When it does happen, we take it extremely seriously,” said Benson and Savit in a joint statement, affirming that any non-citizen attempting to vote in Michigan faces “prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”

The case has drawn attention amid heightened scrutiny from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans, who have raised concerns over non-citizen voting. Experts point out that voter fraud by non-citizens is rare, and cases are typically detected quickly. Legal analysts noted that if convicted, the student could face deportation due to the charges.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has launched a parallel investigation to determine whether the incident was isolated or potentially part of a larger interference attempt. Federal investigators are also reportedly involved.

However, Washtenaw County Clerk Lawrence Kestenbaum clarified that the ballot itself cannot be identified or retrieved once cast, in line with standard election protocols aimed at protecting voter anonymity. “There’s a box of ballots underneath the tabulator and all of the ballots — they all look the same … there’s no way to go back and undo it,” he said in an interview. Kestenbaum added that unlike mail-in ballots, in-person votes lack identifying information, which prevents tracing the student’s specific ballot.

Election law expert David Becker, of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, echoed this, explaining that in-person ballots are designed to be anonymous, protecting voter privacy and preventing vote manipulation. Becker, a former Justice Department voting rights official, said, “An in-person ballot is placed in a tabulator or ballot box, intermingled with other ballots. This is to preserve secrecy, so you can’t go into the ballot later and confirm who a particular person voted for.”

Meanwhile, Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a Stetson University election law professor, noted that the “secret ballot” design makes it nearly impossible to distinguish improperly cast ballots from legitimate ones, highlighting both the strengths and limitations of such a system.

The incident has spurred criticism from Michigan GOP members, who argue for stricter voter ID requirements. They emphasized the need for proof-of-citizenship measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

In response to the charges, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on Friday, urging a fair investigation. “The Chinese government has always required Chinese citizens overseas to abide by local laws and regulations and not engage in any form of illegal activities,” said spokesperson Lin Jian, while urging the U.S. to handle the case “fairly and in accordance with the law” to protect the student’s legitimate rights.