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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that 20 people disqualified from voting due to felony convictions are now facing voter fraud charges.
The Republican governor made the announcement at a news conference at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.
DeSantis said those accused of voter fraud were from South Florida and had been convicted of murder and sexual assault.
“This is against the law and they will pay the price,” DeSantis said.
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The identities of those charged have not been released. If convicted, they would face up to her five years in prison.
The arrests mark some of the first actions taken by the Florida Department of Election Crime and Security, a police force created in Florida earlier this year to crack down on voter fraud and other electoral crimes.
The force was created under SB 524, which DeSantis signed in April. Under the law, the penalty for collecting ballots has been increased from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.
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The law also requires the Florida State Department to tighten ID requirements for mail-in ballots, requires annual checks of voter rolls for unqualified voters, and prevents election supervisors from using so-called “Zuckerbucks.” prevent you from receiving it.