DeSantis Announces His Election Police Force Has Arrested 20 People For Voter Fraud

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the arrests of 20 people for voter fraud crimes following investigations by his newly formed election police force.

Each of the cases involves felons illegally casting votes, all of whom were convicted for either murder or sexual assault. Most were located in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

DeSantis touted the arrests as a continuing effort by the state to ensure the integrity of elections. And he warned others who might be thinking about getting away with voter fraud.

“Our new election crimes office has sprung into action to hold individuals accountable for voter fraud,” he said.

“Today’s actions send a clear signal to those who are thinking about ballot harvesting or fraudulently voting,” insisted DeSantis. “If you commit an elections crime, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

RELATED: DeSantis Signs Bill To Create Election Police Force In Florida To Investigate Voter Fraud

DeSantis’ Election Police Nab 20 For Voter Fraud

While the press conference announcing DeSantis’ election police force successfully arresting felons for voter fraud didn’t mention the race of any of the 20 individuals, it took CBS News all of three sentences to assume this was an attack on minority voters.

“Some fear the office could discourage minorities and other communities from voting,” they wrote.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced criminal charges against 20 people for illegally voting in 2020, the first major public move from the Republican’s controversial new election police unit. https://t.co/t9Z0DQvP2x

— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) August 19, 2022

RELATED: Lawyers for Florida Democrats Argue Non-Citizen’s Vote Should Be Allowed

‘A Great Start’

DeSantis signed legislation in April announcing the creation of a state police force to investigate claims of voter fraud and other election integrity violations.

The law enforcement agency is officially called the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security.

The bill also strengthened voter ID requirements, increased the penalty for ballot harvesting by making it a third-degree felony, and revised the frequency with which election officials must maintain voter registration lists – specifically culling deceased individuals.

“We need to do more to ensure our elections remain secure. We have ended ballot harvesting, stopped drop boxes and the mass mailing of ballots, and banned Zuckerbucks, and this bill will give us more resources to make sure bad actors are held accountable,” DeSantis said at the time.

The legislation I signed today will continue to make Florida a leader in election integrity by increasing penalties for ballot harvesting, expanding our ban on Zuckerbucks, and establishing an election integrity unit in state government to enforce our laws. pic.twitter.com/FPez9uf1gU

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 25, 2022

All of those arrested by DeSantis’ election police force were charged with a third-degree felony punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison.

Crazy how demented the Left’s response is: it’s “intimidation and suppression” to arrest and prosecute people for alleged voter fraud! ? https://t.co/xTuNNR720y pic.twitter.com/cmBEL0n8gS

— Joe Papp (@joepabike) August 19, 2022

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said he was “grateful” that DeSantis had established the election police force and suggested this was just the beginning.

“We are off to a great start at eliminating election fraud in our elections,” Byrd said. “These arrests put those who have no regard for the integrity our elections on notice and will ensure integrity in the voting process.”

DeSantis’ election police force, according to CBS News, will also be looking at illegal immigrant voters who cast their vote in 2020.

“This is just the first step,” DeSantis said. “There are going to be foreign nationals. We want the federal government to be working constructively on this, and so far, that has not been the case. We have an obligation to make sure that U.S. citizens are voting.”