TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Voting rights advocates are sounding off over video showing law enforcement officers arresting several Hillsborough County residents for voter fraud in August.
The state’s election crimes office arrested 20 people who allegedly illegally voted in the 2020 election.
Of the 20 people charged with voter fraud, six were in Hillsborough County.
Members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition called it a broken system and they’re working to change it.
The statewide sweep went after sex offenders and convicted murderers who voted in the last election.
In each body camera video, the people put in handcuffs were confused and upset.
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy teaches constitutional and election law at Stetson University College of Law. She says cases could get thrown out, but part of the problem comes from the state.
“If all of the cases are individuals who did not realize that they didn’t have the right to vote in Florida, then arguably they didn’t knowingly violate the law and they shouldn’t be convicted of voter fraud,” Torres-Spelliscy said. “I think a lot more people may mistakenly vote thinking in good faith that they have their rights restored when they do not and so part of this is really on the state of Florida for not making things clear, not putting out public messages that inform voters of who can vote and who can’t.”
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition started a petition demanding the state stop arresting convicted felons who expressed the state led them to believe they were eligible to vote and create a voter eligibility database to verify all voters.
“If we can have assurances on the front end, we don’t see arrests on the back end,” FRRC Deputy Director, Neil Volz said. “If we had a voter verification system that worked on the front end, we wouldn’t see anybody being arrested.
One of those people hoping to clear their name is Nathan Hart of Gibsonton.
“It’s been an emotional roller coaster,” Hart said. “I’m hoping that somehow God can intervene. Somehow, maybe, soften a heart somewhere.”
Hart was convicted of a felony sex crime in 2004. He says two years ago, someone at the DMV was registering people to vote. He told the man his situation but says the man still encouraged him to fill out the paperwork.
“I’m getting threatened with five-plus years in prison, and all I did was about when they told me I could,” Hart said. “It could easily destroy everything that I’ve worked so hard to build over the last 15 to 20 years.”
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is also working with attorneys to review these cases and help anyone who was arrested. They also created a bail fund to help get people out of jail.
