(DailyChive.com) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird will be prosecuting a noncitizen accused of voter fraud in a special city council election. The man, 42-year-old Jorge Oscar Sanchez-Vasquez, was arrested on Wednesday and now faces serious charges.
According to a press release from Bird’s office, Sanchez-Vasquez is being charged with two counts of election misconduct. The charges claim that he illegally registered to vote and then cast a ballot during a city council election in Marshalltown on July 16, 2024.
The criminal complaint states that Sanchez-Vasquez signed a voter registration form, swearing under oath that he was a U.S. citizen and therefore legally allowed to vote. However, it’s alleged that he knew this wasn’t true. Despite that, he went ahead and cast his vote anyway, fully aware that he wasn’t qualified to do so.
Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips confirmed that Sanchez-Vasquez was aware of his ineligibility to vote. After being alerted by Marshall County Attorney Jordan Gaffney and County Auditor Nan Benson, Phillips’ office opened an investigation into the matter. Once they had enough evidence, they passed the case to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, which now has the authority to prosecute such cases.
Interestingly, this is a recent change in Iowa. Before 2023, election fraud cases were handled by local county attorneys. But now, these cases are under the jurisdiction of the state attorney general, signaling a tougher stance on election integrity.
As of now, Sanchez-Vasquez’s district court case is scheduled to begin on October 2, 2024. If convicted, he could face significant penalties for violating election laws.
This case underscores how seriously election fraud is taken. Protecting the integrity of elections is critical, and prosecuting cases like this helps ensure public trust in the voting system.
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