Chinese National Who Allegedly Voted In MI Is Still On Voter Rolls

A Chinese student in Michigan, facing charges for ineligible voting, is still on the state voter rolls, The Federalist has learned. 

Haoxiang Gao, 19, is a legal resident, but he is a Chinese citizen and thus is not eligible to vote. He was studying at the University of Michigan when he allegedly voted on Oct. 27, according to a press release from the secretary of state’s office. Gao faces two felony charges: false swearing to register to vote and an unqualified elector attempting to vote. But officials still counted his ballot.

The Federalist has learned Gao is still on the state voter rolls, according to Qualified Voter File data provided by Check My Vote. Phani Mantravadi, the group’s co-founder, said it gets the data through Freedom of Information Act requests from the state bureau of elections. 

“The fact that this noncitizen is still on the voter rolls shows ineptitude on the part of the SOS [secretary of state] towards maintaining accuracy in our voter rolls. Certainly doesn’t inspire confidence in our election systems,” said Mantravadi. “Makes one wonder where the tax dollars allocated to voter roll maintenance are going.”

Gao reportedly registered and voted on Oct. 27, listing an address on Observatory St. in Ann Arbor, according to the data from Check My Vote. He was still on the November voter rolls when Mantravadi’s group obtained them early this month.

Mantravadi said the same-day registration and voting implies Gao used a provisional ballot, which poll workers give to those who show up to vote but are not yet registered. 

To vote with a provisional ballot, the state accepts a student identification card to satisfy both proof of ID and residency, according to a notice to provisional voters from the secretary of state’s office. 

“If the election workers directed you to place your ballot in the precinct’s tabulator, all valid votes appearing on your ballot will count. You have voted,” reads the notice. 

Patrice Johnson, chair of the nonprofit Michigan Fair Elections, said poll workers “should have followed the law and verified his identity, residency, and eligibility.”

“Michigan cannot verify the citizenship, identity or residency of voter applicants who register on the same day as voting,” Johnson said. “Election officials cannot possibly have the time to check all these items and our state’s computer system cannot assist because it is not real time.”

Mantravadi said he flagged Gao’s registration in Check My Vote, starting a voter challenge process under MCL 168.512, which allows electors to challenge other voters’ eligibility.

“I’ve flagged Haoxiang Gao for review by another volunteer and then routed to a local jurisdiction resident who can challenge that individual,” he said. “Citizen oversight of voter rolls in their municipalities is important.”

Gao reportedly cast his ballot at an early voting site in the University of Michigan Museum of Art, according to The Detroit News. The Ann Arbor city clerk, UMICH Votes, and Creative Campus Voting Project partnered to operate the center from Sept. 24 to Nov. 5.

The Creative Campus Voting Project calls itself a “non-partisan” initiative to “expand student access to voting.” But those who “co-lead” the program are Democrat donors: Hannah Smotrich and Stephanie Rowden, who are associate professors at the Stamps School of Art and Design.

Smotrich has given $3,000 total to Democrat campaigns, including those of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, according to online campaign finance disclosures. Rowden has given more than $1,200 total to Democrats and left-leaning groups.

To prevent noncitizen voting, Mantravadi recommended changing state IDs to include an indicator of citizenship. Johnson called for federal legislation “to make clear that noncitizens cannot legally vote and election administrators that enable noncitizens to vote will be held personally accountable, facing both financial penalties and prison time.”

The fact that Gao is still on the rolls is “baffling” and “inexcusable,” according to Johnson, who said the local clerk “should have removed him immediately.” She called on state officials to take action.

“They should respond by transparently investigating and remedying the mistake,” Johnson said. “If this is a systemic problem, which it may well be, state officials need to fix it.” 

The Federalist contacted the secretary of state’s office for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.

Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo’s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.