Unfortunately, the 20 people charged fell through the cracks of their return to society after serving time in prison. Their crimes were serious and they needed to be in prison (1) to be removed from society for the real chance the crimes were habitual and could effect others and (2) hopefully, for rehab and a new direction in life that would permit them to continue to carry on lawful lives. These particular crimes receive a forever punishment of never being allowed to vote again. I think that is probably unconstitutional. Sex crimes of minors aren't a voting issue to begin and there are only people 18 years of age and older in voting places.
This policing of voting is a political arm of the DeSantis administration. Bush v. Gore was carried into conflict because of a ballot system that allowed close elections to have a skeptical outcome. So, to say these 20 people would have impacted Bush v. Gore is grossly incorrect. I made the point because I am sure everyone looking at this will make that exact example.
Bush v. Gore was scrutinized over and over, even after the Supreme Court decided the election. So, to say this would have mattered in that election is grossly incorrect. This political policing within an administration of any party is blatantly wrong. These issues belong AT THE LOCAL AND COUNTY level where the precincts have authority and understand the voting mechanisms involved. If these 20 Floridians would appeal the decisions leveled at them they may win in the State Courts. This entire political policing is probably unconstitutional as voting irregularities are local crimes and should be treated as such.
Incorrect ballots for any reason should be understood and where there are crimes, even white collar crimes by those being elected, criminal investigations and charges should follow. But, it is my estimate the Secretary of State reports the votes within the precincts as a state total, it is not the authority that understands the balloting of a district or the balloting mechanism.
Here again, as with Disney and so many other DeSantis antics, the governor is overreaching and causing harm to the people. The governor's office is not a dictatorial governance where an entire state can be effected erroneously by a members of government.
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during an Aug. 18 press conference in Fort Lauderdale, where he announced that the state's new Office of Election Crimes and Security was in the process of arresting 20 individuals for voter fraud.
Many of the individuals (click here) recently charged by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' new election crimes unit told investigators they had no idea that with their felony convictions, they were unable to vote when they cast ballots in the 2020 election.
Their experiences shed new light on Florida's controversial program for felons to restore their voting rights.
In a press conference last week, DeSantis announced to a crowd of supporters that the election crimes unit was charging 20 people across the state with voting illegally.
DeSantis described the arrests as the "opening salvo" from the new election and security unit. State lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year, known as Senate Bill 524, that created the policing force. The legislation followed pressure from DeSantis for the state to spend more resources on combating alleged voter fraud, which experts say remains very rare in American elections.
"People weren't getting prosecuted," he said last week. "Before we proposed this [unit] there were examples of this stuff seeming to fall through the cracks."
State law permits felons to try to gain back their voting rights, but not after convictions for certain crimes....
Many of the individuals (click here) recently charged by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' new election crimes unit told investigators they had no idea that with their felony convictions, they were unable to vote when they cast ballots in the 2020 election.
Their experiences shed new light on Florida's controversial program for felons to restore their voting rights.
In a press conference last week, DeSantis announced to a crowd of supporters that the election crimes unit was charging 20 people across the state with voting illegally.
DeSantis described the arrests as the "opening salvo" from the new election and security unit. State lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year, known as Senate Bill 524, that created the policing force. The legislation followed pressure from DeSantis for the state to spend more resources on combating alleged voter fraud, which experts say remains very rare in American elections.
"People weren't getting prosecuted," he said last week. "Before we proposed this [unit] there were examples of this stuff seeming to fall through the cracks."
State law permits felons to try to gain back their voting rights, but not after convictions for certain crimes....
