Shakir Khan, a politician in Lodi, California, created 70 fake voters and cast mail-in ballots for at least 41 of them. A police investigation also found that he targeted members of Lodi’s Pakistani community, pressuring them to vote for him and, in some cases, signing their ballots himself. By using mail-in ballots, Khan was able to pressure voters on how to vote and then ensure that their ballots were cast the way he wanted. He particularly preyed on elderly voters to pressure, but the number of voters he pressured is never reported.
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Shakir Khan won his race against three opponents with 37.6% of the vote. Total votes in the race were 2,228, with Khan receiving 837. The second place opponent received 555 votes.
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Khan originally faced a possible 40-year state prison sentence, but a plea deal makes it so he will likely face no prison time. The sentence was reduced to eight-year state prison term, but he will spend three year in county jail, with the final year under mandatory supervision. If he violates the terms of supervision, the stayed prison sentence could be imposed.
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. . . The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said that during the investigation, deputies found 41 sealed and completed mail-in ballots at Khan’s home. Investigators also found 23 voter registrations listing his address and 47 others at different addresses that used Khan’s email and phone number. The agency said Khan targeted members of Lodi’s Pakistani community.
The sheriff’s office said body camera footage showed people saying Khan pressured them to vote for him or sign ballots on their behalf. The agency said once the investigation was made public, Khan released a video in Urdu asking people to say they had signed their own ballots if questioned by authorities. . .
Hannah Workman, “Lodi ex-councilman Shakir Khan sentenced after motion to withdraw plea fails,” Recordnet.com March 4, 2026.
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