Overview

• Svitlana Demydenko, 53, and her daughter Yelyzaveta Demydenko, 22, were charged with unlawfully voting in the 2024 U.S. presidential election despite not being U.S. citizens.
• The women entered the United States on nonimmigrant visas in April 2021 and became lawful permanent residents in July 2023.
• They registered to vote in August 2024 using a self-certification system requiring citizenship, which they did not possess, and cast ballots in Palm Beach, Florida, on October 31, 2024.
• Both women were released on $25,000 bonds after their initial court appearances, with arraignment scheduled for May 20, 2025.
• The case highlights vulnerabilities in self-certified voter registration and coincides with the recent passage of the SAVE Act, which mandates proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.