A 76-year-old Canadian citizen admitted Monday to illegally registering and casting votes in the 2016 primary and general elections, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced.
The Fullerton resident, as part of a negotiated deal with prosecutors, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of violating the state elections code and voter registration fraud. In return, a felony count of perjury was dismissed.
As part of the plea, the man agreed to remove himself from California’s voter registry. He was also ordered to serve one year of informal probation.
Prosecutors have described the man as a Canadian citizen and a legal permanent resident of the United States. The accusations that led to the criminal charges against him were first reported to the District Attorney’s Office’s election fraud hotline.
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“The privilege to vote is one of the most sacred rights we have as American citizens,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a written statement. “I refuse to allow anyone to subvert our electoral process in any way and interfere with the will of the voters who are making decisions on how they want their government run. …
“Any allegation of electoral interference will be thoroughly investigated and if there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed, we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions,” the DA added.
Authorities are asking anyone who believes they have information regarding any suspected election-related irregularities to call the Orange County District Attorney’s Election Fraud Hotline at 657-707-4048 or email 2024.elections@ocdapa.org.