DeSantis' New Election Police Force Makes Its First 20 Arrests Over Fraud Charges

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' new election police force has made its first arrests of 20 individuals over fraud charges who were previously incarcerated for murder or sexual assault.

The suspects are believed to have illegally voted in the 2020 election and were taken into custody on Thursday. The GOP-led Florida legislature passed a bill creating the Office of Election Crimes and Security earlier this year at the request of the governor.

Florida's New Election Police Force

While the Florida 2020 election went smoothly, with DeSantis calling it the "gold standard" for elections, the governor said that there are still issues and conservative lawmakers have sought to further tighten voting regulations.

DeSantis, who is widely considered to be a potential 2024 presidential candidate, heralded the arrests, saying that the recently-formed unit had "sprung into action to hold individuals accountable for voter fraud."

The Florida governor noted that the suspects were arrested for violating the rules of a constitutional amendment passed by state voters in 2018. This allows formerly incarcerated people to register to vote, except for those who committed felony sexual assault or murder, as per the Washington Post.

DeSantis noted that the first arrests were just the "opening salvo" and noted that it was not the sum total of 2020. However, voting groups and experts argued that if anything, the initial arrests indicate Florida's election system is robust and crimes are rare.

Some also expressed concern that the new unit could have a chilling effect, particularly on vulnerable groups of voters, such as formerly incarcerated people who are legally entitled to vote. An expert on voting and a professor of political science at the University of Florida, Michael McDonald, said the suspects were 20 people out of millions of voters.

He noted that the arrests are inconsequential to the integrity of the electoral system that is being used. The Florida governor made the announcement flanked by law enforcement officers in Broward County.

According to CBS News, DeSantis said that the 20 people arrested were not among those whose voting rights were restored by "Amendment 4." He noted that they did not go through the process, saying they wanted to vote despite not having their rights restored.

Avoiding Voter Fraud

The Florida governor added that this was only the "first step" and noted that there are going to be foreign nationals. He said, "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."

The president of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Florida, Cecile Scoon, said that there are still open questions about the election crimes office. This includes how law enforcement will be utilized and if their presence will be felt at the polling centers.

The announcement of the arrests comes just days before the state's primary election on Aug. 23 and some voting rights groups have spoken out against the unit. They argued that the new voting office could intimidate voters and slow turnout at the polls, ABC News reported.