NEWS
Nigerian Woman in Massachusetts Charged After Allegedly Voting in Two U.S. Elections Without Citizenship
A 56-year-old Nigerian woman residing in Massachusetts as a lawful permanent resident has been charged by the United States Department of Justice over allegations that she illegally voted in two U.S. elections despite not being an American citizen.
Gladys Adaeze Okafor is accused of unlawfully voting as an alien after allegedly providing false information about her citizenship status on official voter-registration documents.
Federal prosecutors allege that Okafor participated in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary election, even though she was not eligible to vote in those elections because she was not a U.S. citizen.
According to the allegations, Okafor first submitted a voter-registration card in July 2022. On the document, she allegedly certified under penalty of perjury that she was a U.S. citizen. Following the submission, the City of Lynn registered her as a voter.
Prosecutors further allege that Okafor repeated the declaration in October 2023 when she submitted another voter-registration application and again indicated that she was an American citizen.
Authorities said Okafor was born in Nigeria and obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022. However, federal prosecutors maintain that she remains a non-citizen and has never applied for U.S. citizenship. The case has drawn attention because U.S. federal law generally prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections, and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in connection with voter registration can carry criminal consequences.
Okafor is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Wednesday, where the allegations against her will proceed through the judicial process. If convicted, she could face a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The case comes amid a broader series of election-integrity investigations across the United States involving allegations of unlawful voting and fraudulent voter registration.
Recently, seven non-citizens were indicted in Texas in connection with an election-integrity investigation.
Earlier in September, the Justice Department also announced charges against five individuals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin in cases involving allegations of illegal voting or fraudulent voter registration connected to the 2022 and 2024 elections.
The allegations against Okafor remain accusations at this stage, and she is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.