TULSA COUNTY, Okla. — A Philippine national has been arrested and accused of voting illegally in a Tulsa County election.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma says 45-year-old Maria Elenor Lopez Rios was arrested Monday, but the charge stems from the federal midterm election four years ago, when she allegedly voted at a Broken Arrow polling place.
Prosecutors say Rios has been in the United States since 2017 and is a lawful permanent resident but is not a U.S. citizen.
They say when she registered to vote in Tulsa County in March of 2022, she falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen.
They say the investigation was initiated after the Tulsa County Election Board referred several instances where non‑citizens were removed from jury duty lists because of indications they were not U.S. citizens.
If convicted, Rios could face up to 5 years in prison.
