Iowa Attorney General to Prosecute Noncitizen Charged with Alleged Voter Fraud

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird will be prosecuting a noncitizen who was arrested and charged with alleged voter fraud in a special election.

In a press release on Friday, Bird’s office announced that it would be leading the prosecution of Jorge Oscar Sanchez-Vasquez, 42, who was arrested on Wednesday.

Sanchez-Vasquez was arrested on “two counts of election misconduct” and was charged with allegedly “registering to vote and illegally voting” in a special election for the city council in Marshalltown on July 16, 2024, according to the press release.

According to the criminal complaint, Sanchez-Vasquez allegedly signed a voter registration form vouching under oath that he was a citizen of the United States and was legally allowed to vote, according to the Des Moines Register.

Sanchez-Vasquez reportedly cast his vote with the knowledge that he was not “qualified to do so.”

Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips confirmed that Sanchez-Vasquez had “full knowledge” that he had not been “valid” to vote in the election, according to the Times-Republican.

Phillips’ office began an investigation after being informed by Marshall County Attorney General Jordan Gaffney and Marshall County Auditor and Recorder Nan Benson about the alleged voter fraud activity, according to the outlet.

The sheriff was notified by Marshall County Auditor Nan Benson and Attorney Jordan Gaffney about the alleged activity. From there, his office conducted an investigation and then turned it over to the Iowa Attorney General, which has jurisdiction over such matters. Before 2023, election fraud cases were prosecuted by county attorneys.

A “district court case” has reportedly been set to take place on October 2, 2024, according to the press release.

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Editor’s Note: This piece has been corrected to reflect that the man being charged is a noncitizen but in the country legally, according to authorities.