In October 1995, he filed suit for a judge to award him citizenship directly.[29] His petition for citizenship was denied in March 1996 under the pretense of unlawfully voting in a 1994 Hillsborough County local election.[30][31] But a state investigation discovered no discrepancies and vindicated him because voter registration deputies gave Al-Arian the voter registration card via mail to vote in the 1994 local election.[citation needed][clarification needed]