§ 611. Voting by aliens

• (a) It shall be unlawful for any alien to vote in any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, unless—
  • (1) the election is held partly for some other purpose;
  • (2) aliens are authorized to vote for such other purpose under a State constitution or statute or a local ordinance; and
  • (3) voting for such other purpose is conducted independently of voting for a candidate for such Federal offices, in such a manner that an alien has the opportunity to vote for such other purpose, but not an opportunity to vote for a candidate for any one or more of such Federal offices.
• (b) Any person who violates this section shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
• (c) Subsection (a) does not apply to an alien if—
  • (1) each natural parent of the alien (or, in the case of an adopted alien, each adoptive parent of the alien) is or was a citizen (whether by birth or naturalization);
  • (2) the alien permanently resided in the United States prior to attaining the age of 16; and
  • (3) the alien reasonably believed at the time of voting in violation of such subsection that he or she was a citizen of the United States.