A Canadian citizen living in Massachusetts allegedly voted in American elections dating back to 2008, checking “Yes” on voter registration forms asking if he was a U.S. citizen despite knowing full well he wasn’t.
Federal authorities arrested Sunny Manhertz, 40, of Saugus, Massachusetts on Tuesday. The Department of Justice announced charges of unlawful voting by an alien and casting ballots known to be materially false under state law. If convicted on both counts, Manhertz faces up to five years in prison, four years of supervised release, and fines totaling $350,000.
According to court documents, Manhertz has been a lawful permanent resident since 1987 but never applied for citizenship. That didn’t stop him from participating in multiple federal elections, including the 2016, 2020, and 2024 general elections, as well as the March 2024 presidential primary. The complaint alleges he voted for Democrats in party primary elections.
The noncitizen knew exactly what he was doing, federal investigators say. On his 2016 Massachusetts voter registration form, Manhertz checked “Yes” to the question asking if he was a citizen of the United States. He did so under penalty of perjury.
Court documents reveal Manhertz submitted applications to replace his permanent resident card in February 2019 and again in late June 2024, just months before the presidential election. On both forms, he provided his Alien Registration Number and checked the box for Lawful Permanent Resident, demonstrating clear awareness of his immigration status.
The alleged fraud extended beyond just casting ballots. In March, Manhertz attended a political event where he signed state primary nomination papers for two candidates. The forms explicitly stated signers must be “qualified voters of the commonwealth.” The primary is scheduled for September 1.
The affidavit states that Manhertz confirmed he “has been voting since 2008.”
The Department of Homeland Security special agent who investigated the case previously served as election coordinator for Saugus, giving him intimate knowledge of the town’s election processes.
J. Christian Adams, president and general counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, praised the prosecution. “We commend the U.S. District Attorney in Massachusetts for taking action in this case. It shows that violations of election law will not be ignored,” Adams said in a statement to The Federalist. “Cases like this show why citizenship verification matters.”
The arrest comes as debate continues over the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Critics of the legislation have long claimed that noncitizen voting is virtually nonexistent and that such measures are unnecessary.
