The Canadian citizen pleaded guilty to voting illegally in 2016 in Orange County, Dist. He said. Todd Spitzer said in a release Monday.
Robert Soutar, 76, of Fullerton, is a legal citizen of the United States, but because he is not a citizen, he is not eligible to vote. Despite that, he was able to register to vote in May 2016 despite party favoritism and cast his ballot in the primary and general elections later that year, according to voter records. Address records show he has lived in Orange County since at least 1983.
“It's over and it was a mistake,” Soutar said in a brief interview, adding that he would not comment further on the case.
Soutar's illegal voting was recently reported to Orange County's election fraud hotline, the release said.
He pleaded guilty to one count of voter registration fraud and two counts of illegal voting. One count of perjury, a misdemeanor, was dismissed. He agreed to remove himself from the voter list and was sentenced to a year of illegal probation.
There is no evidence that he voted in the 2024 election, the release said.
“The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights we have as American citizens,” Spitzer said in a statement. “Any allegations of election interference will be thoroughly investigated and if there is unquestionable evidence that a crime has been committed, those involved will be held accountable for their actions.”
When registering to vote, a person must fill out a form giving their name, address and date of birth and verify that they are a US citizen, then sign it under penalty of perjury. The Orange County Registrar of Voters does not independently verify that people registered to vote are citizens, the release said.
“The Registrar of Voters takes allegations of voter fraud seriously and appreciates the work of the District Attorney's Office to help ensure we have fair, secure, and transparent elections,” Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page wrote in a statement. “We encourage anyone who sees or suspects illegal activities related to voting or any other part of the voting process to immediately report these issues to the District Attorney's Election Hotlines.”
Last week in Orange County, the mayor of Rancho Santa Margarita suspended his campaign and pleaded guilty to falsifying ballot papers, days after a Fullerton City Council candidate pleaded guilty to doing the same – failing to provide the 30 signatures required to be in person. candidate.
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