Non-citizen charged with illegally voting in Iowa city council election

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Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has filed charges against Jorge Oscar Sanchez-Vasquez, a non-citizen, for allegedly voting illegally in a Marshalltown City Council election in July. Sanchez-Vasquez, a 42-year-old resident of Marshalltown, was arrested and is facing two counts of election misconduct. According to the attorney general's office, Sanchez-Vasquez legally resides in the U.S. but is not eligible to vote.

The charges are based on claims that Sanchez-Vasquez registered to vote and cast a ballot during the special election held on July 16.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate commented on the case, reaffirming the state's laws on voter eligibility. "The law says very clearly you have to be a U.S. citizen to vote," Pate stated during an interview with Iowa Public Radio. He noted that although there has not been a significant trend of non-citizen voting in Iowa, the state’s voter ID laws and partnerships with other entities help identify individuals who are not citizens and, therefore, ineligible to vote.

This case is part of ongoing efforts by Iowa authorities to ensure election integrity and enforce laws related to voter eligibility.