Charlotte, North Carolina Mayor Under Arrest for Illegal Voting on Tuesday

Photo Credit: Jason Miczek / Reuters / Landov

Photo Credit: Jason Miczek / Reuters / Landov

A federal judge has ordered the former mayor of North Carolina’s largest city under house arrest until he begins serving time for taking bribes because the ex-politician cast an illegal ballot in Tuesday’s election.

Under North Carolina law, a convicted felon loses the right to vote. At a bond revocation hearing Thursday, Patrick Cannon told a judge that he didn’t realize that.

Still, U.S. District court Judge Frank Whitney ordered him to home detention until the former mayor reports to federal prison on Nov. 18 for a nearly four-year sentence. Cannon will have to wear an electronic monitoring device.

As part of his annual election routine, Cannon said he and his wife went together to a nearby school on Oct. 30 and voted. Federal probation officers this week were alerted of Cannon’s illegal vote.

“The light simply didn’t go off on that day. This was something that I did without thinking,” Cannon said, adding that he was “embarrassed” and wanted to apologize for his action.

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