Three Georgia residents face federal charges for allegedly voting as non-citizens

Three Georgia residents face federal charges for allegedly voting as non-citizens

Three people living in Georgia are facing federal charges for allegedly illegally voting in federal elections.

U.S. Department of Justice officials say the three individuals were among 16 others charged across the country of non-citizens voting in elections.

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia released the names of the people charged.

Pauline Lewis, 65, allegedly voted in federal elections by absentee ballot in 2020, 2021 and 2024. Lewis entered the country on a student visa in 1979 and stayed without applying for citizenship.

Gabriel Covarrubias, a 44-year-old citizen of Mexico, is accused of voting in person in Lawrenceville. Authorities say Covarrubias applied for a U.S. passport in March 2023 under a different name and claimed to have been born in Puerto Rico.

Analiea Milliscent Eccles, 43, allegedly voted nine times between 2008 and 2024. Officials say Eccles entered the U.S. in 1991 on a temporary visitor visa and received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status in 2013. Eccles tried to renew her status this year, but she has never applied for citizenship, according to authorities.

The three individuals are charged with voting as non-citizens in a federal election. 

The Department of Justice warned the state office in July that they could face federal prosecution if it found that non-citizens were voting in federal elections.

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office sent a news release Monday saying that it assisted federal law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting the alleged violations.

“Only American citizens should decide American elections,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “Georgia has led the nation in citizenship verification because protecting every lawful vote requires enforcing the law. I appreciate our federal law enforcement partners for taking these cases seriously, and my office will continue working with them to ensure anyone who illegally registers or votes is held accountable.”