Photo via Fox News

MAP IT: DOJ illegal voting crackdown sweeps 17 states as razor-thin elections face scrutiny

Read the original at Fox News ↗
Cite

Creitz, C., & Macias, A. (2026, October 11). MAP IT: DOJ illegal voting crackdown sweeps 17 states as razor-thin elections face scrutiny. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/map-doj-illegal-voting-crackdown-sweeps-17-states-razor-thin-elections-face-scrutiny

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Fox News · collected 2026-10-11 · by Charles Creitz, Amanda Macias analysis

Quick Summary

The Justice Department has charged 64 foreign nationals with unlawful voting and related offenses across 17 states over the past five weeks. Minnesota leads with 11 defendants, followed by Pennsylvania with 10 and Texas with nine. The DOJ emphasizes that these prosecutions aim to uphold election integrity, particularly in close elections where even a few illegal votes can affect outcomes. For example, in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District race in 2020, Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks won by just six votes.
Written by AI on 2026-10-11, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

The Justice Department has charged 64 foreign nationals in 17 states with unlawful voting and election-related offenses over the past five weeks, according to figures provided to Fox News Digital. Minnesota leads with 11 defendants, followed by Pennsylvania with 10, Texas with 9, Louisiana with 5, and New Jersey, California, and Florida each with 4. This crackdown comes as federal officials intensify scrutiny of voter-registration safeguards ahead of the November midterms, emphasizing how even a few illegal ballots can exceed the margin separating candidates in close races. The DOJ spokesperson noted that "every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen," highlighting the importance of election integrity after recent tight contests like Iowa's 2nd Congressional District race in 2020, which was decided by just 6 votes.

Written for “Voting Crackdown Sweeps States” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Voting Crackdown Sweeps States
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 19% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 6 of 21 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A discusses election deniers stoking fears over US election security, while Article B reports on a DOJ crackdown on illegal voting in multiple states.”
TIME
⚖️ Leans strongly left Hedges 6 of 62 claims Outlet record 59/100
“Article A describes preparations by a Nevada official for potential election interference, while Article B discusses a broader Justice Department crackdown across multiple states on illegal voting and election-related offenses.”
The Dispatch
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 61/100
“The articles describe different aspects of election integrity efforts; Article A focuses on the SAVE database and its use by states, while Article B reports on actual charges against foreign nationals in multiple states.”
New York Post
Hedges 4 of 17 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different aspects of election integrity efforts: one focuses on a judge's ruling against DOJ using state voter rolls, while the other reports on federal charges across multiple states for illegal voting and fraud.”
Fox News
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 24 claims Outlet record 70/100
“The articles describe different events: one is about a nationwide crackdown on illegal voting by foreign nationals, while the other focuses on Virginia's Democratic Attorney General forming a voter protection unit amid controversies in his state.”
New York Post
⚖️ Leans strongly right Hedges 4 of 32 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A covers a nationwide DOJ crackdown in multiple states, while Article B focuses specifically on California's response to the DOJ request for noncitizen voter records.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A describes a nationwide crackdown across multiple states, while Article B focuses on a specific threat to California over noncitizens receiving ballots.”
NBC News
Hedges 3 of 26 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A reports on a nationwide crackdown across multiple states with detailed numbers of defendants charged in each state, while Article B focuses specifically on threats by the Justice Department to take legal action against California over noncitizen voters.”
CBS News
⚖️ Leans strongly right Hedges 2 of 19 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A covers a nationwide crackdown across multiple states, while Article B specifically discusses the Justice Department suing California over noncitizen voter registration.”
New York Post
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 4 of 19 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A covers a nationwide crackdown with charges across multiple states, while Article B specifically discusses a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against California.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
27
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
19%
5 of 27 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
70/100
Fox News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-11 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Fox News · 6038 article(s) · 10 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 10 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Charles Creitz
37 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 "This would have never happened if we didn't have ranked-choice voting," Dunleavy told Fox News Digital.
🔮 "While some may try to write this off as just how politics works now, ballot-stacking should have no place in our electoral process," Murkowski said.
🔮 "DOJ's election monitors will be engaging in the same routine monitoring we've done for decades."
🔮 "Defendants’ argument that [Constitution] Article II bars Congress from regulating the removal of AUSAs (assistant U.S. attorneys) flies in the face of nearly two centuries of Supreme Court precedent," Judge Jesse Furman wrote, adding that accepting the administration's argument would "unsettle the very equilibrium established by this nation's constitutional system." A DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital the department disagreed with the decision and will appeal it in "due course."
🔮 Schiff drew a comparison to Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election, arguing that senior Justice Department officials at the time, including Attorney General William Barr refused to support efforts to overturn the results — while accusing current DOJ leadership of being willing to go further. "This time, with [Attorney General Todd] Blanche, they are all in on this disgraceful campaign," Schiff said, predicting the case in the Last Frontier has "no chance of succeeding."
🔮 The federal raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home prompted warnings Wednesday from a conservative watchdog leader that more revelations could be coming, as the Minnesota Democrat faces separate investigations involving her immigration records and financial disclosures.
🔮 Second Amendment advocates argue additional gun restrictions would not have stopped the killer and could make it harder for armed civilians like Giamanco to intervene.
🔮 The heated exchange prompted moderators to call for decorum and warn that microphones could be shut off if the candidates continued interrupting one another.
🔮 Jones' announcement did not identify specific Trump administration actions, but the president signed a March 2025 order seeking stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration and changes to mail-ballot rules and backed the SAVE Act to mandate voter ID. "At a time when the Trump administration has sought to push the federal government further into the administration of state elections, we will work closely with the Department of Elections and the Federal Accountability Unit to protect Virginia’s authority, the integrity of our elections, and every eligible voter’s right to be heard," said Ajay Saini, the OAG official Jones named to lead the division.
🔮 He suggested Sheinbaum's demand for evidence of the Coast Guard shooting could reflect pressure within her own political coalition to justify working with the Trump administration.
Also by Charles Creitz
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 37 articles by Charles Creitz →
Amanda Macias
36 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 If he pulls off the upset, the former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian could knock the first brick loose in Texas’ red wall.
🔮 Outside Paxton’s rally, supporters remained confident the Lone Star State would stay red.
🔮 France vows to make rioters pay as cities assess damage Macron has vowed that those who loot or destroy property will be held accountable and made to pay for the damage.
🔮 The first question of the debate focused on fraud, a recurring topic throughout the night, and what each candidate would do to combat it.
🔮 "The thing that I will do on day one is I am going to be firing all commissioners, choosing new commissioners that are expert in their field, that will carry out the accountability and transparency that is needed in our state.
🔮 With the midterms less than two weeks away and after socialist-backed candidates notched sweeping primary victories, a conservative group is warning the far-left agenda will leave Americans worse off.
🔮 Like, that sounds fun, I might get an opportunity.
🔮 In May 2025, Omar filed financial disclosure forms for the year 2024, a required for every member of Congress to complete every year.
🔮 But while each year's newest culinary creation may dominate social media, the State Fair of Texas has long been defined by the long-held traditions that keep generations of families coming back for more.
🔮 Omar's latest annual financial disclosure, filed in May, listed assets totaling between approximately $20,000 and $125,000, according to a Minnesota Star Tribune analysis.
Also by Amanda Macias
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 36 articles by Amanda Macias →

Topics

DOJ Fox News Digital Louisiana Minnesota Pennsylvania

Subjects

DOJ ORG · 4× Fox News Digital ORG · 4× Louisiana GPE · 4× Pennsylvania GPE · 3× Florida GPE · 2× Iowa GPE · 2× Minnesota GPE · 2× New Jersey GPE · 2× Republican NORP · 2× Texas GPE · 2×

Narrative

The spokesperson added: "Voting by noncitizens and other ineligible voters is a federal crime, and the department will enforce the law whether a case involves one illegal ballot or hundreds." The cases involve allegations ranging from fraudulent registration applications to ballots cast in multiple elections.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-11
🔮 The spokesperson added: "Voting by noncitizens and other ineligible voters is a federal crime, and the department will enforce the law whether a case involves one illegal ballot or hundreds." The cases involve allegations ranging from fraudulent registration applications to ballots cast in multiple elections.

Claims (27 extracted, 5 hedged)

The Justice Department has charged 64 foreign nationals across 17 states with unlawful voting, fraudulent voter registration and election-related offenses in roughly the last five weeks, according to figures provided to Fox News Digital, as federal prosecutors intensify election-integrity enforcement. uncertain
prosecutors → charge → enforcement
Minnesota leads the nation with 11 defendants, followed by Pennsylvania with 10 and Texas with nine. asserted
Minnesota → lead → nine
Louisiana accounts for five, while New Jersey, California and Florida each have four, according to the department's latest tally. uncertain
Jersey → account → tally
The nationwide crackdown comes as federal officials intensify scrutiny of voter-registration safeguards ahead of November's midterms, with recent elections underscoring how even a few illegal ballots can exceed the margin separating candidates. asserted
ballots → come → candidates
Fox News Digital mapped the states with the largest concentrations of defendants as DOJ says it has charged 104 people with voting fraud-related offenses since Trump returned to office in 2025. asserted
Trump → map → 2025
"Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen. asserted
vote → cancel → citizen
In 2020, Iowa's 2nd Congressional District race was decided by six votes," a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital, referring to Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' narrow victory over Democrat Rita Hart. asserted
spokesperson → decide → Hart
DOJ said federal prosecutors are bringing more than twice as many election-fraud cases each week as the six-vote margin in the Iowa race. asserted
prosecutors → say → race
The spokesperson added: "Voting by noncitizens and other ineligible voters is a federal crime, and the department will enforce the law whether a case involves one illegal ballot or hundreds." The cases involve allegations ranging from fraudulent registration applications to ballots cast in multiple elections. asserted
cases → add → elections
The department is also securing guilty pleas in some cases, including against Filipino national Evelyn Miller of Emmaus, Pennsylvania. asserted
department → secure → Emmaus
Miller pleaded guilty to illegally voting in the 2024 presidential election and faces up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. asserted
Miller → plead → prison
"We intend to prosecute anyone who corrupts our democracy by illegally voting in its elections," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania David Metcalf said. asserted
Metcalf → intend → Pennsylvania
Also in Pennsylvania, federal prosecutors charged Haitian national Cliff Sanon with submitting a fraudulent voter registration application in Philadelphia County. asserted
prosecutors → charge → County
Prosecutors allege he submitted eight registration applications and voted in the November 2022 election. asserted
he → allege → election
In Minnesota, Ghanaian green card holder Joshua Kofi Edzie was charged with illegally voting in the state's August 2026 primary and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in connection with voter registration. asserted
Edzie → charge → registration
The prosecutions have also reached Republican-led states, including Texas, Louisiana and Florida, which account for 18 defendants combined in the DOJ figures provided to Fox News Digital. asserted
which → reach → Digital
In Louisiana, the feds indicted an ex-mayoral candidate on a charge of voting by an alien. asserted
feds → indict → alien
Bridget Johnson, who ran in 2024 to lead Cotton Valley, Louisiana, allegedly submitted a registration in the name of Jamaican national Michael Wedderburn and falsely swore he was a citizen. uncertain
he → run → Wedderburn
Wedderburn then allegedly voted illegally in 2024 for president and mayor. uncertain
Wedderburn → vote → president
He was also recently indicted. asserted
He → indict → ?
In New Jersey, Republicans have pointed to several razor-thin elections amid a separate controversy involving approximately 6,600 people who indicated they were not citizens but were erroneously registered through the state's Motor Vehicle Commission. asserted
they → point → Commission
Fewer than 400 subsequently voted, according to Gov. Mikie Sherrill's administration. uncertain
400 → vote → administration
Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac recently highlighted municipal elections in Caldwell, Atlantic Highlands and Bogota decided by margins of four to six votes in 2023. asserted
Kranjac → highlight → 2023
The state has not established that any of the affected voters changed an election outcome. asserted
any → establish → outcome
Sherrill spokesman Sean Higgins previously said the governor "moved with transparency and accountability to remediate this error from 2023." asserted
governor → say → 2023
The prosecutions come as federal officials continue scrutinizing voter-registration safeguards ahead of November's midterm elections. asserted
officials → come → elections
Authorities have not established that any of the cases identified in DOJ's nationwide tally changed the outcome of an election. asserted
any → establish → election
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support