San Joaquin County, CA — During a September 2025 press conference, a San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Captain highlighted vulnerabilities in California’s voter registration system, claiming it allows some individuals living abroad, including in Pakistan, to cast ballots in state and local elections.
“The way the voting system is structured, we see quite a few flaws,” the Captain said. “You can register and vote even if you don’t live in the country. We have evidence of a few people outside the U.S., including in Pakistan, who were registered and may have voted. The online voter registration system seems to operate on an honor system: anyone can submit information, click a box claiming it’s truthful, and then receive confirmation from the Secretary of State. Once someone is on the voter rolls, ballots are mailed automatically. We found that concerning.”
The comments reference broader concerns about alleged voter fraud in San Joaquin County, particularly involving mail-in ballots.
Here’s how Gavin Newsom steals California elections
San Joaquin County Sheriff says voting records show people from outside the country vote in California elections, including Pakistan
“The online voter registration system, it seems to be an honor system — You’re able to… pic.twitter.com/kmsRVC2v9G
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In 2023, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Patrick Withrow, charged former Lodi City Council member Shakir Khan with election fraud related to the 2020 Lodi City Council election. Khan had won by a narrow margin of 282 votes and was accused of numerous felonies, including:
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Fraudulent voter registration
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Submitting false nomination petitions
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Aiding and abetting fraudulent voting
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Assisting unqualified individuals to vote
Investigators uncovered 41 completed, sealed mail-in ballots at Khan’s home and approximately 70 voter registrations connected to his address, phone, or email—far above the usual number for a single household. Some registrations appeared to involve individuals living outside the U.S., including at least one case tied to Pakistan.
Khan allegedly targeted members of the local Pakistani immigrant community, pressuring elderly and less-informed voters, forging signatures, and submitting fraudulent ballots. Some victims reportedly did not know their information had been used to vote for him.
In early 2024, Khan pleaded no contest to dozens of felony charges, including election fraud, resigned from his council seat, and faced a total of around 77 criminal charges across multiple categories.
The Sheriff’s Captain’s recent remarks suggest that these issues may extend beyond Khan’s case, highlighting potential weaknesses in California’s online voter registration system and mail-in voting process.