New noncitizen voting charges in Pennsylvania with less than two weeks until Election Day
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged nine Pennsylvania residents with voting as noncitizens ahead of the 2026 midterms. Officials noted that there is no evidence of widespread or coordinated voter fraud, and some defendants claim they believed they were eligible to vote.
Why it matters
These charges highlight the ongoing political and legal focus on election integrity and the complexities of immigration status in the U.S. voting system.
Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Pennsylvania’s free newsletter here.
UPDATE, 5:26 P.M., Oct. 23, 2026 : This story has been updated to include a comment from Artur Kopacz’s attorney.
The Department of Justice has charged nine more Pennsylvania residents with voting as a noncitizen, according to a Friday press release .
The charges, which have not yet been proved, come amid the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on election crimes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
There is no evidence the cases are related or that voter fraud is happening on a widespread or coordinated scale.
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