Federal Judge Dismisses Noncitizen-Voting Case on Constitutional Grounds

Reported October 1, 2026 | Procedural status: Case dismissed; ruling applies to this defendant.

A federal judge in Florida dismissed the federal prosecution of Chelsea Cox, a Jamaican national accused of voting illegally in the 2020 election, after finding the federal statute used to prosecute her unconstitutional. The decision is limited to Cox’s case and does not bind other courts in separate prosecutions.

The Justice Department argued that Congress may regulate foreign interference in federal elections. The judge’s ruling raises a constitutional question about Congress’s authority over voter qualifications, which the Constitution assigns to the states. The dismissal does not change the separate state and federal prohibitions on noncitizen voting generally.

Source: Reuters, October 1, 2026