Ukrainians Charged With Illegally Voting In US Presidential Election

Federal prosecutors have charged two Ukrainian nationals with unlawfully voting in an American presidential election, the latest case of non-citizens allegedly participating in federal elections.

The Ukrainian women — 53-year-old Svitlana Demydenko and her 22-year-old daughter, Yelyzaveta Demydenko — are accused of voting in the 2024 presidential election in Palm Beach, Florida, on Oct. 31, according to the Justice Department. The pair made their initial appearance in West Palm Beach federal court on Tuesday.

In a public statement celebrating the charges, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting initiative within the Trump administration better known as DOGE, assisted with the investigation.

“In partnership with arrested two Ukrainian nationals for illegally VOTING in the 2024 election,” Noem posted Tuesday on social media. “Under President Donald Trump, if you come to our country and break our laws, you will face the consequences.”

Under the Biden administration, Svitlana and Yelyzaveta lawfully entered the U.S. in April 2021 on non-immigrant visas, according to the DOJ. While residing in Florida in August 2024, the mother and daughter registered to vote in federal elections using a system that mandates certification of U.S. citizenship, which neither of the women had.

News of the Ukrainian nationals’ unlawful participation in the 2024 election came just a day after federal prosecutors revealed that an Iraqi man, Akeel Abdul Jamiel, allegedly voted illegally in the 2020 U.S. election.