A French citizen residing in New Jersey has pleaded guilty to illegally voting in the 2022 federal midterm elections. Eliezer Kadoch, 39, admitted to casting a ballot on November 8, 2022, despite never holding U.S. citizenship.
Kadoch was automatically registered to vote when he obtained a New Jersey driver's license, according to his attorney, Yosef Jacobovitch. Jacobovitch stated that Kadoch mistakenly believed he was legally permitted to vote and that there was no intent to break the law. The offense to which Kadoch pleaded guilty does not require proof of criminal intent.
He faces a maximum of six months in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for October 26.
The case was handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey's Election Integrity Task Force, a collaboration of federal law enforcement partners. The investigation involved agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Kadoch's specific immigration status was not publicly disclosed.
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has noted that issuing driver's licenses to noncitizens combined with automatic voter registration can lead to noncitizens being added to voter rolls. The organization reported that several states have identified noncitizens on their voter rolls in recent years. AFPI has proposed model legislation suggesting requirements for proof of citizenship to vote and audit mandates to ensure noncitizens are not present on voter rolls.