French citizen pleads guilty to illegal 2022 midterm vote, says New Jersey automatic voter registration led to his enrollment

Eliezer Kadoch, a 39-year-old French citizen who has never held U.S. citizenship, admitted in federal court to illegally voting in the 2022 midterm elections. The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey's Election Integrity Task Force and involved special agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Kadoch's attorney, Yosef Jacobovitch, told Fox News Digital that his client "mistakenly believed" he was legally permitted to vote because he had been automatically registered to vote when he obtained a New Jersey driver's license. "Mr. Kadoch accepted responsibility for his actions," Jacobovitch said. "There was never any intent to violate the law or cast an unlawful ballot." Jacobovitch noted that the offense to which Kadoch pleaded guilty does not require proof of criminal intent.

The case drew attention to New Jersey's automatic voter registration system, which links driver's license issuance to voter enrollment. Fox News Digital, which reported the story exclusively, connected Kadoch's case to a broader pattern, citing the America First Policy Institute's findings that numerous states — including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia — have investigated similar issues and identified noncitizens on their voter rolls.