20 People Charged Over Alleged Voting Fraud in Florida

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during the Governor DeSantis Leadership Forum at the TPepin's Hospitality Centre in Tampa on Sept. 1, 2026. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida officials said on Thursday that 20 people have been charged with voter fraud.

Those charged include 16 noncitizens accused of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register and vote, and four convicted felons who allegedly registered and voted while still on probation, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office.

Uthmeier said during a press conference that 12 of the 20 people charged are already in custody.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 524 into law in April, 2022, strengthening voting rules and establishing the Office of Election Crimes and Security to investigate fraud in the state. The law also requires county election supervisors to review and update the state’s voter rolls annually.

Uthmeier said the latest cases brought the number of election fraud-related prosecutions in Florida to more than 100 since DeSantis signed the bill.

“Florida will not allow anyone to steal the vote of Americans at the ballot box,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “These defendants swore they were qualified electors, cast ballots in our elections, and later confirmed they were never eligible to vote.”

The investigation remains active with more charges and arrests expected, his office said.

DeSantis also announced during the press conference that Florida was forming a new organization, the Association of State and Local Election Officials, which would involve election officials from other states.

‘Florida Blueprint’

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd will lead the organization

“We want to take the Florida blueprint, we want to take the model that has been so successful in the third largest state in the country and take it nationwide,” Byrd told reporters. “Congress has fallen down on the job.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 12, 2025. Chris O'Meara/AP Photo

In April, DeSantis signed the Florida SAVE Act, also known as HB 991, into law. It requires verification of U.S. citizenship for voter registration. The legislation takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

It also imposes disclosure requirements on political candidates. Under the legislation, all candidates for public office in the state must disclose whether they have dual citizenship, while congressional candidates must disclose their stock trading activity. Additionally, it establishes a legal process for challenging a candidate’s eligibility.

The Florida State Conference of Branches and Youth Units of the NAACP and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans filed a lawsuit shortly after the bill was signed, alleging that the law’s proof-of-citizenship requirements are unconstitutional and could potentially suppress eligible voters from participating in elections.

The Epoch Times reached out to the governor’s office for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Troy Myers contributed to this report.