Federal prosecutors in New Jersey have charged four residents with illegally casting ballots in federal elections, the U.S. attorney's office announced Friday. The individuals, who were not U.S. citizens at the time, are accused of registering and voting in violation of federal law.
Details of the Charges
The charges include illegally voting in a federal election, making false statements during citizenship applications, and unlawfully procuring citizenship or naturalization. Prosecutors allege that all four defendants participated in at least one federal election between 2020 and 2024, a period covering two presidential elections and one midterm election.
After voting, the defendants reportedly submitted naturalization applications in which they falsely asserted they had never voted or registered to vote in a federal election.
U.S. Attorney's Statement
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer emphasized his office's 'commitment to protecting the integrity of our election system' in response to the charges. Last year, his office established a task force specifically targeting election-related offenses, including voter registration fraud, casting fraudulent ballots, voting by non-citizens, and individuals voting multiple times.
Context and Election Integrity
These charges emerge amidst ongoing social media claims of widespread voter fraud, which intensified after the 2020 election and have been consistently amplified by President Donald Trump and his allies. However, both current and former election officials maintain that such fraud is isolated and uncommon. They point to the decentralized nature of the nation's elections, with thousands of independent voting jurisdictions, as a safeguard that makes large-scale vote-rigging operations virtually impossible, according to officials who spoke with The Associated Press.
Frazer, a seasoned prosecutor, assumed his role in March, concluding a notable dispute between the judiciary and the Trump administration regarding the leadership of the U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey. President Trump's prior selections for the position, including his personal attorney Alina Habba, had been deemed ineligible.
