That leaves 38 cases in the overall review. Six have resulted in criminal charges, 10 were closed without charges, and 22 remain under investigation or review.
State officials also said voter registrations connected to every identified noncitizen voter have been canceled, regardless of whether criminal charges were ultimately filed.
The five noncitizens include lawful permanent residents, a limited-term resident alien and a resident of the United Kingdom. None are U.S. citizens, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
The allegations involve a variety of election-related offenses. Prosecutors are pursuing cases involving alleged false statements on absentee-ballot paperwork, fraudulent voter registration, election-law forgery, perjury and attempts to vote despite being legally ineligible.
Depending on the specific charge, the potential consequences range from months behind bars to several years in prison.
Nessel emphasized that her office considers election-related violations a serious matter, even when the number of cases is small.
“In my office, we’ve always taken election crimes seriously, and prosecute attacks on our voting systems to the fullest extent of the law. We’re upholding election integrity by investigating all claims of non-citizen voters, as rare as they are, and holding bad actors accountable when they refuse to abide by the laws that keep our elections safe and secure,” Attorney General Nessel said in a statement.
She also pointed to the consequences of attempting to participate in an election while lacking the legal qualifications to vote.
“These charges reflect the severity of the allegations, the sanctity of our democracy, and the tremendous consequences of voting illegally— whether that’s done to try and ‘test’ security measures or to make an unlawful vote count.”
The cases also highlight the difficulty investigators can face when determining citizenship status. Officials said some investigations were more complicated because state investigators have limited access to certain federal citizenship records.
Several referrals ultimately did not lead to criminal charges.
Investigators determined that two people initially referred for possible noncitizen voting were actually U.S. citizens. Another individual was presumed to be a citizen because of an international adoption that occurred at an early age, although the available records were incomplete.
A fourth case involved a federally recognized American Indian who was born in Canada. Investigators determined that the person’s circumstances did not establish U.S. citizenship or voting eligibility, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
The distinction is important because Michigan law is clear: only U.S. citizens are eligible to register and vote in state and federal elections. Michigan’s Secretary of State also says individuals must affirm their citizenship under penalty of perjury when registering.
At the same time, state officials have repeatedly stressed that verified cases of noncitizen voting are extremely uncommon. A Michigan Department of State review released in April 2025 identified 15 credible cases among more than 5.7 million ballots cast in the 2024 general election. The department described the instances as representing just 0.00028% of ballots cast.
That figure provides important context for the latest prosecutions. The charges do not establish that widespread illegal voting occurred in Michigan’s 2024 election. Instead, they represent individual cases that authorities say warranted criminal investigation and prosecution.
Still, the prosecutions send a clear message about the potential consequences for anyone who knowingly attempts to circumvent Michigan’s voting requirements.
The issue has already surfaced in other Michigan investigations. In 2025, federal prosecutors charged a University of Michigan student from China with allegedly registering and voting in the 2024 election after falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
Now, with 22 additional cases still under review, the latest announcement is unlikely to be the final word on Michigan’s examination of suspected noncitizen voting.
For voters concerned about election integrity, the developments underscore two competing realities: officials say illegal noncitizen voting remains exceptionally rare, but authorities are nevertheless continuing to investigate individual cases and pursue charges when they believe the evidence supports prosecution.
All six defendants announced Thursday are accused of election-related misconduct and remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has emphasized that a criminal charge is an allegation, not a finding of guilt.
With millions of ballots cast in Michigan’s 2024 election, the cases involving these six individuals represent a tiny fraction of the overall vote. But for election officials and voters alike, even isolated allegations can carry significant consequences when the integrity of the voting process is at stake.
