In a disturbing revelation that underscores gaping holes in our election security, a Chinese national was able to cast an illegal vote in Michigan—an incident that, despite its serious implications, will see the ballot counted as if nothing was amiss. This incident at the University of Michigan isn’t just a cautionary tale; it’s a glaring example of how loose our voting protocols have become.
Why is this illegal vote still being counted? Once a ballot is cast and tabulated, it’s intermingled with all the others, indistinguishable and untraceable, ensuring voter anonymity but also shielding illegal votes from being rectified. In Michigan’s effort to uphold voter privacy, they’ve ironically extended these protections to include even those who should never have been allowed a ballot. As a result, even when illegal voting is identified, these votes remain counted.
Michigan’s Secretary of State brushed off this breach of law as a rare anomaly, but the truth is, the state’s same-day registration system, which doesn’t require an ID, practically invites such abuse. It’s a system where the integrity of our elections can be compromised by merely taking someone at their word. It’s particularly troubling that the Chinese student, a noncitizen charged with perjury and illegal voting, self-reported the incident. Without this admission, would we even be aware of the breach? This incident hardly deters others from following suit, showcasing serious gaps in our voting system integrity. If we’re seeing one illegal vote emerge, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Undoubtedly, there are likely thousands more undocumented cases across the nation.
It is important we call out these vulnerabilities for what they are: a threat to the very fabric of our republic. Yet, the warnings many have voiced in the months leading up to the election have fallen on deaf ears, drowned out by a chorus of complacency from those who would rather preserve the ease of access to voting at the expense of its legality and legitimacy.
This isn’t just about one illegal vote. It’s about the integrity of every vote. The focus on keeping ballots secret and untraceable, while foundational to our democracy, doesn’t compensate for the initial security lapse that allows non-citizens to participate in our elections. Once an illegal vote is mingled with the rest, it’s too late—the damage is done.
The lesson here is unequivocal: Election integrity isn’t merely about counting votes; it’s about ensuring every vote cast is legal from the outset. Verification must be stringent and unfailing, a barrier against the exploitation of our democratic processes. What happened in Michigan is a wake-up call, and one we must heed by fortifying our defenses at the voting booth, not diluting them under the guise of accessibility.
