Chinese student accused of voting illegally in US ‘stood mute’ in court
Gao Haoxiang, 19, did not plead guilty or not guilty to charges that could see him sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if convicted
Gao Haoxiang, a 19-year-old University of Michigan student from China, was arraigned on Friday in Washtenaw County District Court on charges that he voted illegally in the presidential election.
The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office revealed on October 30 that a student who was not a US citizen had cast a ballot at an early voting site in Ann Arbor.
The announcement came six days before Election Day and drew the attention of national political figures, as there was no way for local election officials to prevent Gao’s ballot from being counted after it was entered into a tabulator.
Michigan authorities did not identify Gao as the individual who allegedly cast the ballot until Friday, when he was arraigned in the 15th District Court in Ann Arbor.
Gao is facing felony charges of perjury – making a false statement on an affidavit for the purpose of securing voter registration – and of being an unauthorised elector who attempted to vote.
The standard penalty for perjury in Michigan, the most serious of the two allegations, is up to 15 years in prison.
03:36
Donald Trump secures enough Electoral College votes to win 2024 US presidential election
