Lawful Permanent Resident from South Africa Charged with Unlawful Voting by Alien

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A lawful permanent resident from South Africa was charged today with unlawful voting by an alien.

Hanlie Venter, 67, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of illegally voting in the November 2024 federal election. Venter was born in South Africa and moved to the United States in 2020. In 2021, she applied for and was granted lawful permanent residency.

Venter registered to vote in September 2024 and subsequently voted in the November 2024 federal election at a polling place in McDonald County, Missouri. Lawful permanent residents are not allowed to vote in federal elections and are not allowed to vote in state or local elections in Missouri.

The charge contained in the criminal complaint is simply an accusation and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury who will be responsible for determining whether the defendant is guilty or not.

Under federal statutes, Venter is subject to a sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of $100,000. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wyatt A. Cross and Assistant United States Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations.