‘Simply showed them his … driver’s license’

A Mexican citizen managed to vote in federal elections in Alabama in 2022 and 2024 just by showing his driver’s license and without ever being asked to prove he was an American citizen, federal authorities charged in a new criminal case.

In Pennsylvania, meanwhile, federal prosecutors have charged an illegal immigrant with voting in every presidential election since 2008.

Mahady Sacko, a citizen of West Africa’s Mauritania, was first ordered deported in 2000, yet he continued to vote even while he was checking in with ICE, authorities said.

In North Carolina, prosecutors announced Friday they’d won a guilty plea from a Canadian citizen who voted illegally.

Denis Bouchard, 70, had lived in the U.S. since the 1960s but never earned American citizenship. He pleaded guilty to voting in 2022 and 2024, although authorities stated that records indicated he cast ballots dating back to 2004.

“This shows that our elections remain under attack from aliens,” said Ellis Boyle, the U.S. attorney in eastern North Carolina. “Every ineligible vote cancels out a legal vote.”

The spate of cases comes as President Trump begs Congress to pass legislation requiring proof of citizenship before people can register, plus an ID when they cast ballots.

The legislation, dubbed the SAVE America Act, passed the House last month. The White House said Mr. Trump is planning to ask senators to add provisions about transgender treatments and limits to absentee voting to the bill, which was already facing the likelihood of a Democrat-led filibuster.

Opponents say voter fraud, and noncitizen voting in particular, is so rare as to be inconsequential.

But the Trump administration keeps finding new cases.

The two immigrants charged this week bring this year’s total to at least five federal prosecutions. And Bouchard was one of 10 cases brought last year.

Mr. Ramos, when interviewed by investigators, said he went with two associates to register in Alabama’s Marion County and nobody challenged him on his citizenship.

“Ramos states that he did not tell anyone at the voter registration location that he was not a United States citizen, but, rather, simply showed them his Alabama driver’s license,” Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jared Picchiottino said in court documents.

He said Mr. Ramos then voted in 2022 and 2024, both of which were federal elections.

Mr. Picchiottino said Mr. Ramos’ name is one of “a number of potential cases” of noncitizens referred to federal prosecutors by the Alabama secretary of state’s office in January.

In the Pennsylvania case, Mr. Sacko cast ballots in the 2008 general election, the 2012 general election, the primary and general election in 2016, the primary and general election in 2020, and the 2024 general election, according to charging documents.

“On each occasion, Sacko falsely represented that he was a U.S. citizen,” FBI Special Agent Mickel McGann told the court in that case.

Mr. McGann said Mr. Sacko also seemed to reregister often.