Florida to Make Possession of More Than Two Voter Ballots a Felony
From the Washington Post, March 11, 2022
Possessing more than two ballots in Florida will become a felony under a bill passed by state lawmakers Thursday. The offense was previously a misdemeanor in the state under a 2021 law. But the more serious classification in the new legislation will make it punishable with a fine of up to $50,000 and five years in prison. Ron DeSantis has indicated he will sign the bill into law.
The ballot felony is just one part of a bill that aims to reform certain elements of Florida elections. The legislation would also establish a first-of-its-kind elections police force for the U.S.
“I am excited that with this legislation, our state will be able to enforce election violations, combat voter fraud and make sure violators are held accountable,” he said in a statement. “If potential violators know they will be held accountable, they will be much less likely to engage in improper conduct in the first place.”
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“We’re very excited and thank the Legislature for delivering on Governor DeSantis’ election security initiative. The Legislature carried out our goal of making it easier to vote and harder to cheat,” the spokesperson said.
The governor had requested almost $6 million to hire a force of 52 people, but instead he will be allotted about $2.5 million to hire 25 staffers for the new Office of Election Crimes and Security.
Under the bill, election supervisors would have to cull voter rolls (or sift out names) every year rather than every two years. Switching the party registration of a voter without the person’s authorization would bring a $1,000 fine.
Ballot drop boxes will be renamed “secure ballot intake stations” when the bill becomes law.
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