By Sumayya
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says two Canadian citizens have been charged with casting illegal votes in the 2022 and 2024 U.S. elections.
One of the Canadians is accused of lying by saying they were a U.S. citizen when they signed up to vote, according to a Thursday news release shared by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Both Canadian people lived in the state of Wisconsin and voted in their own cities, the news release stated. Monique Gignac-Yochum, who is 60 years old and a Canadian citizen who used to live in the city of Hayward, was charged with voting in the elections for both of those years.
The news release states that she cast a vote on November 8, 2022, and on November 5, 2024. The U.S. midterm elections happened in 2022, while 2024 was a year for choosing a president.
Gignac-Yochum could get up to one year in prison if she is found guilty by a court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
Rodger Dedrick, who is 66 years old and lives in the city of Stoughton, has also been charged with voting on November 5, 2024, and for lying about being a U.S. citizen when he signed up to vote on August 13, 2024.
If found guilty, Dedrick faces up to five years in prison for the lying on his voting signup charge and up to one year in prison for the illegal voting charge.
Both of the accused people went to a federal court for the first time this week and were allowed to leave while they wait for more court steps.
Gignac-Yochum and Dedrick are the newest names on a growing list of Canadians accused of taking part in U.S. elections against the law, during a time when President Donald Trump’s government is strictly punishing non-citizen voters before the November 3 midterm elections.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a person could get up to one year in prison and a fine of $100,000 US for voting illegally. Lying about being a U.S. citizen could lead to up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 US.
Here is a list of other Canadians who have been accused of voting illegally in the U.S., sorted by the state where the legal charges were brought. All of these individuals are listed as having legal permanent residency in the U.S.
North Carolina
A 58-year-old man was charged with one count of lying about being a citizen so he could vote and one count of voting as a non-citizen. He signed up to vote in 2022 and cast a vote in the 2024 election. He lives in New Hanover County.
A 69-year-old man was charged with one count of lying about being a citizen so he could vote and one count of voting as a non-citizen. He signed up to vote in 1998 and cast a vote in the 2024, 2016, 2004, 2002, 2000, and 1998 general elections.
California
A 63-year-old man supposedly signed up to vote in December 2018, lied on his application to become a citizen in January 2024, and then voted in the 2024 U.S. election. He faces serious crime charges, including making false statements on a citizenship application.
A 31-year-old woman supposedly lied about being a U.S. citizen and signed up to vote. She cast a vote in the 2024 election and was charged with making false statements during her interview to become a citizen, where she denied ever saying she was a U.S. citizen and lied about her voting history. She has been charged with lying about being a citizen to vote, trying to get citizenship unlawfully, and making a false statement under oath regarding citizenship.
Florida
A 69-year-old woman was charged by an official court paper with making a false statement by saying she was a U.S. citizen to vote and voting illegally as a non-citizen. She supposedly signed up to vote in 2021 and cast a vote in the 2022 federal general election.
A 55-year-old woman was charged by a legal document for voting illegally as a non-citizen. She supposedly cast a vote in the 2022 and 2024 general elections.
A 75-year-old person was charged by a legal document with three counts of voting as a non-citizen. She cast a vote in the 2024 and 2022 general and primary elections.
Also, a 64-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman were both charged with voting as a non-citizen. It is not clear which election years they took part in.
Idaho
A 48-year-old woman supposedly cast a vote in the 2022 general election and has been charged with voting illegally as a non-citizen.
An 82-year-old man has been charged with voting against the law in the 2022 general election.
Kentucky
A 59-year-old woman has been charged with voting illegally as a non-citizen in a federal election. It is not clear which election year she took part in.
Minnesota
A 47-year-old man has been charged with one count of making a false claim of citizenship so he could vote and one count of voting as a non-citizen. He supposedly voted illegally and lied about being a citizen to vote in the year 2024.
