Indiana Files First Charges Over Alleged Noncitizen Voting

Indiana authorities have filed felony charges against Terre Haute resident Francisco Aguilar Romero, alleging he falsely registered and voted in six local elections from 2018 through 2024 while not a U.S. citizen. Attorney General Todd Rokita called it the state’s first prosecution of a noncitizen for illegal voting; Romero faces charges including fraudulent registration, perjury and voting while ineligible, with a potential sentence of up to 11.5 years if convicted. The case remains an allegation: according to an investigator’s affidavit reported by one outlet, Romero said he told Bureau of Motor Vehicles staff he was not a citizen and did not know the citizenship box had been checked on his forms. Officials said neither federal nor Indiana law required proof of citizenship when he registered.