French national pleads guilty to illegal voting in New Jersey 2022 midterms after automatic DMV registration
A 39-year-old French citizen admitted to casting an illegal ballot during the 2022 federal midterm elections in New Jersey, claiming he believed he was authorized to vote after being automatically registered through the state’s driver’s license system. Eliezer Kadoch, a resident of Toms River, entered a guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Brandon Day in Trenton federal court for voting as a foreign national in a federal election. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey through its Election Integrity Task Force. Kadoch voted on November 8, 2022, during an election that determined members of the U.S. House of Representatives, despite never holding American citizenship.
Defense attorney Yosef Jacobovitch explained that his client mistakenly assumed he possessed legal voting rights because New Jersey’s Department of Motor Vehicles automatically enrolled him in the voter registration system when he obtained his state driver’s license. The attorney emphasized that Kadoch accepted full responsibility for his actions but maintained there was no deliberate intent to break the law or submit an unlawful ballot. However, the federal statute under which Kadoch was convicted does not require prosecutors to prove criminal intent, leaving the defendant liable regardless of his understanding of the law at the time he cast the vote.
Potential penalties and upcoming sentencing hearing
Kadoch now faces significant legal consequences for his violation of federal election law. According to officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the French national could receive up to six months in federal prison. Additionally, he may be ordered to pay a fine reaching $100,000. The court has scheduled his formal sentencing hearing for October 26, when Judge Day will determine the exact punishment. Federal authorities have not publicly disclosed Kadoch’s current immigration status or whether deportation proceedings may follow the criminal case.
Nationwide concerns over automatic voter registration systems
The America First Policy Institute has documented systematic issues arising from states issuing driver’s licenses to noncitizens while simultaneously implementing automatic voter registration programs. This combination creates pathways for foreign nationals to inadvertently end up on official voter rolls. Recent investigations across multiple states have confirmed the presence of noncitizens registered to vote. States that conducted audits and identified noncitizens on their voter registration databases include:
- Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in the Southeast
- Texas and Louisiana across the South
- Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan in the Midwest
- Montana, Idaho, and Utah in mountain regions
- Virginia and Tennessee in border areas
The policy institute drafted model legislation proposing solutions to address these vulnerabilities in election security. Recommended measures include requiring documentary proof of citizenship before allowing voter registration and implementing mandatory audit requirements to systematically verify that noncitizens are removed from voter rolls. These proposals aim to close gaps created when states extend driving privileges to noncitizens while maintaining automatic registration systems that may not adequately screen for citizenship status.
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Federal task force coordinates multi-agency investigation
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer highlighted that the prosecution emerged from collaborative work by the Election Integrity Task Force, a specialized coalition established to safeguard voting procedures throughout New Jersey. The task force brings together federal law enforcement agencies with distinct jurisdictions and expertise. Special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation contributed criminal investigative resources. Homeland Security Investigations provided immigration enforcement capabilities and access to federal databases tracking foreign nationals. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services supplied verification of citizenship records and naturalization documentation. This multi-agency approach enabled prosecutors to build a comprehensive case demonstrating that Kadoch lacked any legal basis to participate in American elections.
Growing scrutiny of noncitizen ballot access across United States
The New Jersey case represents part of a broader federal effort to identify and prosecute illegal voting by foreign nationals. Federal authorities recently charged four additional noncitizens with illegally casting ballots during the 2020, 2022, and 2024 federal elections in New Jersey alone. These prosecutions signal increased enforcement priorities surrounding election integrity and citizenship verification requirements. Legal experts note that while intentional voter fraud cases remain relatively rare, administrative errors stemming from automatic registration systems pose ongoing challenges for election officials. The intersection of state motor vehicle departments and voter registration creates unique vulnerabilities when states extend driving privileges to legal permanent residents and other noncitizens who lack voting rights.
Election security advocates argue that clearer safeguards must separate driver’s license issuance from voter enrollment to prevent situations where foreign nationals believe they possess legal authorization to vote. Critics of current systems point to cases like Kadoch’s as evidence that automatic registration without robust citizenship screening can undermine public confidence in election outcomes. State officials counter that automatic registration increases civic participation among eligible citizens while administrative protocols exist to remove ineligible registrants. The debate continues as federal prosecutors pursue cases against noncitizens who cast ballots, whether through deliberate fraud or mistaken belief in their eligibility to participate in American democracy.
