Tarrant County election officials referred an allegation that a noncitizen cast a ballot during early voting for the November 3 general election to an election integrity task force after a polling-place lead clerk documented a woman’s request to cancel her ballot.
A document titled “Affidavit of Jessica Mang,” dated October 28 and shared with The Dallas Express, identifies Mang as the lead clerk at the Forest Hill Civic & Convention Center during early voting.
“Anishka Adanique Persaud came in and said she wanted to cancel her ballot. Persaud voted without any problems on Oct 26th at 9:43 AM Persaud came with a valid ID and a voter registration card, but said she’s having remorse because she’s not a citizen.”
Mang wrote that Persaud said she had a green card, was seeking U.S. citizenship, and consulted an immigration attorney before attempting to cancel her ballot. The account does not independently establish Persaud’s citizenship status.
According to Mang’s account, Persaud said she attended a voter registration event at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington. She allegedly told a volunteer she was not a citizen, then received instructions to scan a QR code to check her eligibility. The account says she subsequently received a voter registration card in the mail. It does not independently establish that church volunteers knowingly registered an ineligible voter.
The document lists September 28 as the date officials entered Persaud into the voter registration system and October 27 as a validity date on her voter registration card.
Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig confirmed the referral in a statement to The Dallas Express.
“We are aware of allegations that a potential non-citizen may have cast a ballot in this election. The matter has been referred to the Elections Integrity Task Force for review. Because this is a pending legal matter, I cannot provide any further comment at this time.”
The Dallas Express also sought comment from Persaud and her husband. Her husband declined to discuss the allegations without receiving something in writing.
The referral comes as federal authorities pursue separate election-related cases nationwide. The Justice Department announced November 2 that charges involving 63 individuals included allegations of illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and related offenses.
In a separate Tarrant County case, federal prosecutors announced October 28 that a jury convicted Indian national Khalwinder Singh Bhengura of voting unlawfully in the 2024 presidential election and falsely claiming citizenship to register. The Dallas Express previously covered that conviction.
Mang’s signed document and Ludwig’s statement do not establish whether officials counted or invalidated Persaud’s ballot, identified a registration error, or initiated criminal proceedings. The county has confirmed a referral for review, not a finding of wrongdoing.
