Galveston County’s top election official, currently being sued in federal court for removing naturalized citizens from voter rolls, has referred five “potential non-citizens” to the local district attorney’s office to be investigated for possible voter fraud.
Cheryl Johnson, the county’s tax assessor and collector, made the referral to District Attorney Jack Roady weeks after reviewing her office’s policy on processing jury summons lists that indicate a voter might not be a U.S. citizen.
Johnson, who doubles as county registrar overseeing the county’s voter rolls, will now use a person’s voluntary declaration that they are a non-citizen on a jury summons exemption as a precursor for possible criminal investigation for voter fraud.
The policy revision, dated March 12, states that if a potential non-citizen is flagged and does not submit proof of citizenship or voluntarily remove him- or herself from voter rolls within 35 days of notification from the registrar’s office, the registrar will drop that person from the voter rolls and refer the matter to county prosecutors for investigation.