PRESTON, Minn. — A Sprig Valley man, who’s not a U.S. citizen, has been accused of casting a ballot in the November 2024 general election. Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, age 34, an emigre from India, was charged after a county-level investigation. The criminal complaint lists three sequential events:
> March 12, 2024: Chaudhari signed a document to register to vote.
> March 27, 2023: He was added to the master Fillmore County list of registered voters.
> November 24, 2024: He cast a ballot in the general election.
Chaudhari faces two counts: Perjury and voter fraud. Falsely swearing to be a U.S. citizen to vote is a felony. Investigators quoted Chaudhari that at first denied casting a ballot but eventually admitted that he was not a U.S. citizen and confirmed that he indeed had voted. According to the criminal complaint, Chaudhari said he received a notice from the state of Minnesota for voter registration and filled it out. Only later did he learn from his attorney that, although he was in the process of seeking a green card work permit, he couldn’t vote legally.
The Trump shadow
The Chaudhari case found its way into President Trump’s campaign to federalize the administration of elections. In effect Trump wants to replace local administration of elections with minions he appoints. Why? He claims — falsely — that he lost his 2020 campaign for president due to election fraud. In Minnesota the Chaudhari case was flagged to social media attention by two-term State Representative Pam Altendorf, a Republican from Red Wing. Altendorf is no friend to immigrant causes. She hasfavored denying state driving licenses to non-citizens.