Non-Citizen Charged with Voting in Three New Hampshire Elections Amid Broader Legal History

2019 Arrest Photo of Naseef not related to this case

CONCORD- A Manchester man has been arrested and charged with voting in three New Hampshire elections despite not being a U.S. citizen, according to an announcement Tuesday from Attorney General John Formella.

Naseef Bryan, 30, faces three Class B felony charges of wrongful voting under RSA 659:34. Prosecutors allege he illegally cast ballots in the November 2023 Manchester municipal election, the January 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary, and the November 2024 general election. Each felony count carries a maximum sentence of 3½ to 7 years in state prison and a fine of up to $4,000.

Bryan is scheduled to be arraigned on August 22 in Manchester District Court.

The case is being prosecuted by Brendan O’Donnell, senior assistant attorney general and head of the Election Law Unit. The investigation was conducted by the Attorney General’s Election Law Unit in coordination with the Manchester Police Department.

While wrongful voting cases in New Hampshire remain relatively rare, the scope of this incident — involving three elections — has reignited concerns about election integrity.

Liz Tentarelli, president of the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, recently told The Clock at Plymouth State University, “We have very few cases of voter fraud in New Hampshire. I don’t think there’s a systemic problem.” However, critics argue that such high-profile violations, particularly by non-citizens, challenge that assessment.

Bryan’s criminal case is not his only legal entanglement in New Hampshire courts.

In 2024, Bryan filed two separate lawsuits in federal court — one against the Merrimack Police Department and another against the New Hampshire Secretary of State — both of which were dismissed.

In Bryan v. Secretary of State, New Hampshire, Bryan sought a writ of mandamus, demanding unspecified corrective actions and claiming he was unable to “perform basic functions that humans need.” U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone recommended dismissal, noting the federal court had no jurisdiction to compel action by state officials and that the complaint lacked any specific factual allegations. U.S. District Judge Samantha D. Elliott approved the dismissal on July 25, 2024, closing the case entirely.

In the other case, Bryan sued the Merrimack Police Department and an officer involved in a 2019 road rage arrest. That case, too, was dismissed in June 2024, with the court finding that the statute of limitations had long expired.

Despite these repeated civil filings, Bryan now faces potentially far more serious consequences in criminal court.

The Attorney General’s office has emphasized that wrongful voting prosecutions remain a priority in upholding public confidence in elections. New Hampshire has among the strictest voting laws in the country, yet Bryan’s case reveals that enforcement challenges persist.

While he remains innocent until proven guilty, his case is likely to heighten scrutiny of the state’s election systems and renew calls for tighter verification of voter eligibility.