A federal judge in Miami on Thursday dismissed a case against Chelsea Cox, a Jamaican national charged with illegally voting in the 2020 election, after finding the federal law used against her unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz issued a 31-page order concluding that Congress lacks authority to set voter qualifications under the Constitution. Cox had been charged in October 2025 with a misdemeanor under a federal law barring noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The ruling applies to Cox's case, according to CBS News.
Leibowitz said Florida state prosecutors could pursue a case under state law for unlawful voting, rather than the federal government. Al Jazeera reported that the decision limits federal action over voter qualifications by placing that authority with individual states.