Non-citizen admits voting in NJ election

🗳️ A French citizen living in Ocean County admitted illegally voting in New Jersey's 2022 federal election despite not being eligible.
📋 The case has renewed questions about voter roll accuracy as Republicans cite hundreds of suspected non-citizens on New Jersey's voter rolls.
⚖️ Election officials say only eligible citizens should vote, making accurate voter registration records essential to public confidence.

A French citizen living in Ocean County has admitted to illegally voting in New Jersey's 2022 general election, a case that is fueling renewed debate over voter eligibility and the accuracy of the state's voter registration rolls.

Federal prosecutors announced that 39-year-old Eliezer Kadoch of Toms River pleaded guilty to one count of voting by an alien in a federal election. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Kadoch is a citizen of France who has never become a U.S. citizen but nonetheless cast a ballot in the November 2022 election, which included a race for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Voter eligibility under renewed scrutiny

Federal law allows only U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections. Prosecutors say Kadoch knowingly registered and voted despite being ineligible. He faces up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 when he is sentenced in October.

A GOP election integrity review says hundreds of non-citizens were on NJ voter rolls. (Canva/TSQ illustration)

The guilty plea comes just weeks after federal prosecutors charged four other New Jersey non-citizens with illegally voting in federal elections and, in some cases, making false statements during the naturalization process. Those cases are being investigated through the U.S. Attorney's Election Integrity Task Force.

GOP points to voter roll concerns

The latest prosecution also follows a report issued this month by the New Jersey Republican Party's Election Integrity Task Force, which said it identified hundreds of individuals believed to be non-citizens appearing on voter registration rolls across the state. The report has prompted renewed calls from Republicans to review and verify voter registration records to ensure only eligible voters remain on the rolls.

State election officials have long maintained that safeguards exist to protect the integrity of New Jersey elections, while federal authorities have emphasized that knowingly voting as a non-citizen is a criminal offense.

Calls for accurate voter rolls

While the Kadoch case does not establish how widespread ineligible registrations may be, it does demonstrate that at least some non-citizens have successfully registered and cast ballots in New Jersey elections.

For advocates of stronger election safeguards, that underscores the importance of regularly verifying voter registration lists and removing ineligible voters while ensuring every eligible citizen retains the right to vote. Federal investigators say they intend to continue pursuing violations involving voter eligibility through the Election Integrity Task Force.

Democrats have argued the efforts amount to voter interference.

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