Florida lawmakers approved the creation of a special state police force to investigate election crimes in a voter integrity bill that is the first of its kind in the nation.
Gov. Ron DeSantis had asked the Legislature to provide $5.7 million to hire 52 officers to work in a new Election Crimes and Security division within the Florida Department of State.
Lawmakers on Wednesday approved the new department, but in response to concerns raised by voting rights activists, they cut the plan significantly, providing about $3.7 million for a staff of 15 investigators and 10 sworn officers.
In addition to creating the election security police force, the legislation would establish penalties for violating the state’s new voter integrity laws, including ballot harvesting, which involves allowing a third party to deliver election ballots.
Under the legislation, ballot harvesting would be punished as a third-degree felony. The legislation also would require the state to purge voter rolls annually and eliminate “haphazard” drop box locations.
Mr. DeSantis proposed the new penalties and election security division in November and said they would improve election integrity by providing a dedicated police force to investigate reports of impropriety or fraud.
“If someone is ballot harvesting, you report it to these people and this is their sole job,” said Mr. DeSantis, a Republican.
The legislation follows Florida’s passage of a sweeping election integrity law in 2021 that bolstered voter ID requirements, banned ballot harvesting and mass mailing of ballots, and prohibited funding of election activities.
The new election security division, Mr. DeSantis said, “is going to make Florida number one by a long shot, anywhere in the country” on election integrity.
The legislation passed along party lines in the Florida House. The GOP-led Senate approved the bill last week.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.