Spring Hill - Monday April 25, 2022: Governor DeSantis has signed into law a measure that creates an Office of Election Crimes and Security under the Florida Department of State.
Senate Bill (SB) 524 that the Governor signed on Monday gives him the authority to appoint a group of special officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who will be tasked with pursuing the election law violations.
“We need to do more to ensure our elections remain secure," said the Governor at the bill singing ceremony in Spring Hill. "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.”
“Florida leads the nation in free and fair election," said Senate President Wilton Simpson, "and the Legislature has taken a proactive approach to address any issues."
“In 2020, Florida set the example of a well-run election for the rest of the nation to see,” said Representative Daniel Perez. “SB 524 is an example of our commitment to always do better and continue to be the best state in the nation for secure and accurate election results.”
The new law also requires voter rolls to be annually reviewed and updated, it strengthens voter ID requirements, and increases the penalty for ballot harvesting from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a $5,000 fine and up to 5 years probation.