‘Oops, I voted illegally’: Minnesota case fuels firestorm for Walz
File this this under “things we’re told never happen.”
A 39-year-old man in Minnesota is now staring down felony charges after allegedly doing the unthinkable—registering to vote and actually casting a ballot in the 2024 election… despite not being a U.S. citizen.
According to authorities, Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari didn’t just slip through the cracks—he walked right through the front door. Records show he registered in 2023 and followed through with a ballot the next year. When investigators first questioned him, he reportedly denied voting. Then came the pivot: he later admitted he had, calling it a “mistake,” and acknowledged he’s not a citizen.
A mistake? That’s one way to describe checking a box that explicitly asks whether you’re eligible to vote in a U.S. election.
The explanation gets murkier. Investigators say Chaudhari received a voter registration notice after obtaining a driver’s license—raising fresh questions about how tightly (or loosely) state systems are linked. He reportedly told authorities he didn’t realize he wasn’t allowed to vote until his lawyer flagged the issue during his green card process.
That’s a stunning claim, considering what Minnesota election officials themselves make crystal clear: “Only U.S. Citizens are eligible to vote in Minnesota.”
Officials emphasized that applicants must affirm their citizenship when registering and again before voting. And if someone lies? The consequences are anything but minor: “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.”
Yet here’s where the story collides with politics. For years, critics of stricter voting laws have insisted that noncitizen voting is “extremely rare.” That phrase is doing a lot of heavy lifting these days.
A 39-year-old man in Minnesota is now staring down felony charges after allegedly doing the unthinkable—registering to vote and actually casting a ballot in the 2024 election… despite not being a U.S. citizen.
According to authorities, Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari didn’t just slip through the cracks—he walked right through the front door. Records show he registered in 2023 and followed through with a ballot the next year. When investigators first questioned him, he reportedly denied voting. Then came the pivot: he later admitted he had, calling it a “mistake,” and acknowledged he’s not a citizen.
A mistake? That’s one way to describe checking a box that explicitly asks whether you’re eligible to vote in a U.S. election.
The explanation gets murkier. Investigators say Chaudhari received a voter registration notice after obtaining a driver’s license—raising fresh questions about how tightly (or loosely) state systems are linked. He reportedly told authorities he didn’t realize he wasn’t allowed to vote until his lawyer flagged the issue during his green card process.
That’s a stunning claim, considering what Minnesota election officials themselves make crystal clear: “Only U.S. Citizens are eligible to vote in Minnesota.”
Officials emphasized that applicants must affirm their citizenship when registering and again before voting. And if someone lies? The consequences are anything but minor: “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.”
Yet here’s where the story collides with politics. For years, critics of stricter voting laws have insisted that noncitizen voting is “extremely rare.” That phrase is doing a lot of heavy lifting these days.
70-79, M
