Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced that 20 instances of voter fraud already have been uncovered by the state's Office of Election Crimes and Security, which began operations on July 1.
"The Office of Election Crimes and Security, in conjunction with the Attorney General's office and FDLE [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] of the state of Florida, has charged and is in the process of arresting 20 individuals across the state for voter fraud," DeSantis said during a press conference where he was flanked by state and law enforcement officials.
Twenty people from Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and other counties voted even though they were disqualified because of previous convictions of murder or sexual assault, DeSantis said.
Florida state law prohibits those who have been convicted of crimes such as homicide and sexual assault from keeping their voting rights, The Hill noted.
Those arrested face third-degree felony charges, which carry penalties of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, DeSantis said.
Investigations are continuing, he said, adding that other charges could be related to voting more than once in two different districts or illegal individuals who may have cast votes.
"One of the things that we did in the most recent legislative session, though, is recognize, yes, you can have all these great policy reforms, and it's important to do it, but if it's not actually enforced, then what difference is it going to make at the end of the day?" DeSantis said.
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