This current state of the American government can be compared to walking on eggshells: loud, annoying, and everyone has to deal with what’s going on. One of the most prevalent conversations going on concerns illegal voting and whether those in positions of power are there for genuine reasons. Despite our current administration having been on various benders in the past to try and prove illegal voting for his opponents, it appears that an actual case of illegal voting has been discovered in Michigan. What’s even worse is that the person being accused of illegal voting is a student at the University of Michigan.
A Chinese national attending the University of Michigan named Haoxiang Gao was discovered to have illegally cast a vote in the 2024 general election. After having been questioned about his actions, he admitted to having done so at a polling location on campus. It is currently unclear how he was able to obtain an unauthorized voter registration as well as be able to use it at a sanctioned voting location.
After having been arraigned, Gao was asked not to leave Michigan and was asked to submit his passport to ensure that he could not leave. However, despite handing in a passport, it was discovered that the Chinese national was able to board a Delta plane to Shanghai, China, using a different passport registered to him. As a result, the former student has officially been charged with a federal count of flying to avoid prosecution despite the US not having an extradition treaty with China.
A US Attorney named Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. spoke on the issue, saying, “Illegal voting is a serious crime that cast doubt on our elections and serves to disenfranchise United States citizens by diluting their power at the ballot box. But illegal voting by a foreign national who is from a country controlled by a communist party dictatorship – with no modern history or tradition of democratic government – is beyond the pale. I hope that today’s charges send a message to foreign nationals – including those who are students at our universities – that we will not tolerate illegal voting.”
Currently, Haoxiang Gao is still in Shanghai, and there have been no reports of bringing him back to the United States for further questioning or arrest. It’s likely that not much more can be done in this particular situation.
