Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier traveled to Palm Beach County on Thursday to announce that 20 people across Florida have been charged with illegally registering and voting in the 2024 election.
The 20 ballots were among the more than 11 million cast in Florida in that election, which saw President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and other Republicans, the party of both DeSantis and Uthmeier, win their offices by wide margins. They represent 00018% of the vote.
Authorities had already taken 12 of those accused into custody, DeSantis said in a news conference at Palm Beach State College's Lake Worth Beach campus, where Uthmeier unveiled the results of the statewide operation.
"We have prioritized election integrity in Florida,
and we have zero tolerance for voter fraud,” DeSantis said.
Arrests give Florida Office of Election Crime 100 over four years
Trump has made election integrity an issue in this and past elections, even though studies have found voter fraud is rare and that states, counties and cities nationwide have installed layers of protections to keep illegal ballots from being cast.
The latest state push carried the Florida's Office of Election Crimes and Security past 100 arrests for voter fraud since DeSantis signed legislation to create the agency over four years ago in 2022.
Uthmeier said a third of those arrested were not U.S. citizens. Others are people convicted of felonies who had not fulfilled their sentence and regained their right to vote. Some voted in multiple jurisdictions.
"If you're going to cheat, we're going to get you," said Uthmeier, who is running for election to a full term this fall.
State officials said the investigation began after with a tip from the Office of Election Crimes. County supervisors of elections flagged registered voters whose immigration records indicated they were not U.S. citizens. Investigators then reviewed voter registration applications, voting records and other documents.
Among those arrested were lawful permanent residents from countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Jamaica, Indonesia, Chile and the Bahamas, according to the Attorney General's Office.
None of the 12 defendants announced Thursday live or voted in Palm Beach County. The cases span Brevard, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee, Marion, and Polk counties.
Officials said defends were charged for illegally registering to vote and casting a ballot. Each is a separate charge considered a third-degree felony. Most defendants face up to 10 years in prison if convicted and two defendants face potential maximum penalties of 15 and 20 years because of multiple charges.
The investigations remain open, and additional arrests and charges are expected, the Attorney General's Office said.
This is a developing story. Check back to www.PalmBeachPost.com for updates.
Valentina Palm covers immigration and breaking news for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: DeSantis announces 20 arrests for illegal voting in 2024 election
