Ron DeSantis Announces Arrest of Individuals Engaging in Voter Fraud

Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, August 18, where he announced that he was following investigations by the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), where 20 individuals are being arrested by FDLE for breaking Florida’s elections laws.

All 20 of these individuals were disqualified from voting after they were convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense, but they chose to vote anyway, and now they have all been charged with voter fraud — a third-degree felony punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison. The governor also informed of voter fraud consisting of illegal aliens that were casting votes. 

Additionally, Governor DeSantis directed the Department of State to communicate to county Supervisors of Elections with instructions on records they must preserve until additional reviews and investigations are complete. 

The Governor said:

In 2020, Florida ran an efficient, transparent election that avoided the major problems we saw in other states. At the same time, the election was not perfect, which is why we continue our efforts to ensure the integrity of our elections.

Our new election crimes office has sprung into action to hold individuals accountable for voter fraud. Today’s actions send a clear signal to those who are thinking about ballot harvesting or fraudulently voting. If you commit an election crime, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.