Noncitizen charged with voting in Minnesota 2024 election after admitting ‘mistake’ to investigators

A man in Minnesota is facing felony charges after being accused of registering to vote and then voting in the 2024 election despite not being a citizen of the United States. 

Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, 39, was charged with perjury and a voting violation on Monday after authorities say they obtained records showing he submitted a ballot in the 2024 election after registering to vote in 2023, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported.

Authorities say that Chaudhari denied he voted at first when interviewed but later claimed he “made a mistake” and admitted to voting while also telling investigators he is not a U.S. citizen. 

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Chaudhari, according to investigators, received a voter registration notice from the state of Minnesota in a move that was likely triggered in the system after he obtained his driver’s license. Chaudhari is said to have told authorities that he didn’t learn he should not have voted until his lawyer informed him during his green card process.

“Only U.S. Citizens are eligible to vote in Minnesota,” the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State told Fox News Digital, adding that ineligible voting is “extremely rare.”

“When an individual completes a voter registration application, they attest that they meet all eligibility requirements, including that they are a U.S. citizen,” the office said. “Before casting a ballot, one must again swear to their eligibility before they are allowed to vote. If a noncitizen attempts to vote in an election, they will be caught and held to account. Penalties for voting while ineligible may include deportation, a permanent bar on future citizenship, a fine of up to $10,000, and up to five years in prison.”

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News of the charges come as Republicans continue to push voter ID legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, against fierce pushback from Democrats who make the argument that voter fraud and non-citizens voting are rare.

Conservatives on social media were quick to point the finger at Democrats in response to Chaudhari’s charges.

“That thing that never ever happens happened again,” Center of the American Experiment policy fellow Bill Glahn sarcastically posted on X.

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State Rep. Pam Altendorf, a Republican, called out Minnesota Democrats in a post on X for three specific actions that she said have weakened election safeguards and invited scrutiny: loosening election laws in 2023 and 2024, issuing driver’s licenses to noncitizens, and creating a 46-day voting season during which the state mass-mailed voter registration cards and absentee ballots.

“Welcome to Tim Walz’s Minnesota,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.

Glahn previously spoke to Fox News Digital about his concerns over the lack of safeguards in Minnesota’s voting system, including registered voters being able to “vouch” for up to eight other voters’ residency who want to sign up for same-day voter registration without an ID.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Tim Walz’s office.