THE VILLAGES, Fla. (WESH/WFLA) — Three people in The Villages have been charged with voter fraud in connection with last year’s election.
Jay Ketcik, Joan Halstead and John Rider are accused of casting more than one ballot in the 2020 election, according to authorities.
Ketcik is accused of voting by mail in Florida, while also casting an absentee ballot in Michigan. Prosecutors say Halstead voted in person in Florida, but also cast an absentee ballot in New York.
WFLA’s affiliate WESH has not received a police report for Rider.
According to WKMG in Orlando, court records do not reveal which candidates the suspects cast votes for. Their report says all three are registered as Republicans in Florida.
The arrests come weeks after Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a pledge to create a law enforcement agency to investigate election crimes, despite there being little evidence of such in the Sunshine State.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.