Man acquitted in Iowa noncitizen voting case, cleared of first-degree election misconduct

A Hancock County jury acquitted Roque Ramirez Vasquez of first-degree election misconduct, a charge stemming from his voting in the June 2022 primary despite being a lawful permanent resident. This verdict represents the first not guilty outcome in a series of noncitizen voting prosecutions led by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. Vasquez, 75, had registered to vote in 1999 and admitted to casting a ballot in the 2022 election. The jury's instructions required them to find him guilty only if they believed the state proved he knowingly voted illegally. Another individual, Irving Omar Ahumada Geronimo, awaits sentencing after being found guilty of registration and vote fraud, marking the first conviction under Bird's initiative.

Bird's office has filed six cases targeting noncitizen voting since her tenure began. These prosecutions arise amid broader allegations of illegal voting and a Republican push for stricter election laws in Iowa. Despite claims of noncitizen voting, evidence of widespread fraud remains unsubstantiated.