I voted but I'm not a US citizen

[desert_fox 32]

I'd be consulting a competent immigration attorney, first off. I wonder if it makes a difference if it is a "willful" misrepresentation or not. I recall reading something about the consequences of false claims of citizenship with respect to I-9 entries, that were not as dire when or if the alien could demonstrate that it was due to a misunderstanding of the terminology.

By the way, I could well surmise that this can happen quite accidentally, without premeditation or malintent, desert_fox. In some countries 'citizenry' refers to inhabitants or the folk that reside there and has little to do with legality of their immigrant status or their right to vote.

I agree..."citizen" is used as a generic term.

I certainly would not be volunteering infor to anyone right now and do not apply for naturalization, as you would have to fess up.

Talk to an immigration attorney and see what could happen....but dont vote, and get off the voters roll. Also.....dont serve on any juries should you be called.

[Nancy2015 2]

Once I read that there was a difference between being a US citizen and being a citizen of the United States.

Is there any? Even if so, you're neither one of those. You're an LPR.

I would forget about N-400...

[warlord 73]

Once I read that there was a difference between being a US citizen and being a citizen of the United States.

Is there any? Even if so, you're neither one of those. You're an LPR.

I would forget about N-400...

The only difference is the wording. A citizen of the US and a US citizen are the exact same thing. Meaning you hold citizenship of the US and are a US citizen.

Well how would they find out? They know a lot more then you think they do. They also are very keen at seeing people lying about something. So yes, it's either abandon the US citizenship N-400 all together and just hope nothing now happens with your Green Card, or get the lawyer...

[SqdnGuns 21]

Got to ask this.....................Did you vote Democrat or Republican?

[Yodrak 7]

punkster,

You might want to contact the office of Stuart Folinsky, an immigration attorney practicing in LA. He's had some experience with this aspect of immigration law.

Yodrak

Does anyone of you know someone who made the same mistake.

I wrongly assumed that as a permanent resident it was ok to participate in local election.

I am in such trouble

any advice will be greatly appreciated

[Dr_LHA 3]

Didnt you bother to read the affadavit before signing the registration form??

Not everywhere has such an "affidavit". In Pennsylvania, you get asked if you want to register to vote on the screen as you're sitting down to have your DL photo taken, its really easy just to press "yes". Of course, I never would!

[Lansbury 19]

Didnt you bother to read the affadavit before signing the registration form??

Not everywhere has such an "affidavit". In Pennsylvania, you get asked if you want to register to vote on the screen as you're sitting down to have your DL photo taken, its really easy just to press "yes". Of course, I never would!

Very similar in Oregon, I got asked if I wanted to register to vote when I got my licence. Then again when we changed the registration on our vehicles from just my wife's name to joint names they asked me again if I wanted to vote. Don't know if they would have given me a form or not with something more on it, I just so no each time.

[Arazia 0]

I was going to say that Permanent residents are able to vote in some local elections. The USCIS website states this. But it seems as if this has less to do with voting in a local election and more to do with registering to vote.

Clueless. Sorry.

Edited repeatedly for missing previous posts!

Edited July 13, 2007 by Arazia

[Tracy 0]

My husband when he got his license they had his sign a voters card i then said he wasn't elgible but i'm not sure if they sent it in or not. I have not found him on the website you can check in IL to see if you are registered but how do you know? He just signed it because they told him to. We are not ready for the N-400 but what now?

[vsmtghdy 2]

This is a very interesting topic. Before I enter the US, I already know that as a Legal Permanent Resident, I can do all what a USC can do (work, pay taxes, etc...) EXCEPT to VOTE. I have read it on their web and I wanted to be familiarize with my "rights" when I enter the U.S. When I applied for a driver's license, there's a portion there regarding: Register to Vote and my husband especifically told me not to check that part because we know I cannot vote yet since I'm not a USC (yet).

Your case will be a very complicated one as you have called USCIS and told them about what you did, you had voluntarily told them your mistake because of the confusion you had with being a Citizen and a USC (but we are not a Citizen, we are still a Permanent Resident). Although your excuse may sound right but for the U.S. Government, "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse". For this matter, you will need a very good Immigration Lawyer to get you off the hook as this will be judged as a "felony case" and may be a reason for deportation or being banned to enter the US. Ask the Immigration Attorney what you can do for the meantime and hopefully it will still turn out for the better. Good Luck.

[Captain Oates 911]

Whoa hold your horses !

U.S. law is based on English law...

There are 'absolute' offences like speeding when you need no intention..

Then there are serious criminal offences where you need TWO elements

'mens rea' the guilty intent and 'actus rea' the guilty act

So if I borrow your stapler and put my own staples in and staple one piece of paper to another and then put your stapler back on your desk, there is no 'mens rea' - guilty intent and no theft

same with conspiracy /theft/assault etc etc etc etc etc - if I bump into you accidentally and break your nose there is no offence - only a civil case for negligent damages - that's why you cant be guilty of murder (murder1 in US terms) if you get drunk and leave your car on a railway crossing and 500 people die. No 'malice aforethought'

Now if this offence is as serious as it sounds then surely some 'guilty intention' is necessary. Thats as far as the felony is concerned - dont know about the USCIS element where they can act without proving a crime.

Also we all know that the website says you CAN vote in certain elections and registering to vote would be necessary to do this surely ?

Are there different levels of voter registration - local and state and national - or only one ?

If its only one then how can a person vote locally without registering (somebody else made this point)

Summary

So I don't think the felony stuff is important here if this person can show that there was no guilty intent - only a brain cell deficit.

BUT !!! I also think the USCIS don't care about that and they can bump your n400 anyway without a conviction and let you prove it rather than the courts ...

A far as 'would they know' I suspect US computerization is pretty pathetic generally and bigamy is rife as the FED dont even have a common States database of who is married - and I reckon they would not know (90%) - but sod's law says they would sweep this one and then it is a felony to claim you didnt when you did as that claim would be done with guilty intent

So having green card status only is better than the slammer. So what you cant vote in future - I wouldnt want to....

Did you vote for George first time ? I wonder if its too late to get the election result annulled ?

Edited September 10, 2007 by saywhat

[desert_fox 32]

same with conspiracy /theft/assault etc etc etc etc etc - if I bump into you accidentally and break your nose there is no offence - only a civil case for negligent damages - that's why you cant be guilty of murder (murder1 in US terms) if you get drunk and leave your car on a railway crossing and 500 people die. No 'malice aforethought'

people get convicted all the time of manslaughter for example, without having any prior intent of hurting someone, but as a consequence of their own illegal behavior such as running a red light or leaving their car on the railroad tracks because they decided to drive while they were drunk.

[Jasman0717 9]

Wow, a lot of older threads have been popping up lately

[Boiler 45,545]

Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[Artegal 1]

This is an interesting topic, therefore while at my local county board of elections I asked them about a situation where a non-US Citizen registers to vote.

Basically, it was stated if it was an honest mistake and you immediately de-register then it’s like no harm no foul. But if you stay registered and then actually vote--then you are probably toast.

The Elections Board official stated that INS Agents routinely query voter registration records and pull those files of suspected aliens, illegal or legal who are registered and voting. And this may not be immediate, as one person was registered to vote since 2004, and just recently INS pulled his records.

In my state it clearly asks if you are a US Citizen and over 18. If you check no to either then you cannot register, if you lie and swear by checking yes that you are a US Citizen and over 18 years of age and then register you are committing a felony--perjury before sworn representative of the government.