Task Force Created To Investigate Voter Fraud Complaints

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has set up a statewide task force to investigate voter fraud complaints, saying problems are popping up in so many places it doesn’t make sense to investigate them separately.

The department has received complaints about voter registration or absentee ballot issues in Bay, Leon, Orange, Alachua, Broward and Miami-Dade counties and also plans to work with investigators in Duval County who are already looking into fraud allegations there.

"We’re finding that there appears to be some common thread between some of the investigations that are occurring," said FDLE spokesman Tom Berlinger. "We decided to approach it from a statewide perspective rather than a local perspective."

Many of the problems seem to be cropping up with forms turned in by groups that hire people to register new voters. An FDLE press release singled out the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, saying its "workers have been connected with the widespread voter irregularities."

"We think that a lot of this is going to be driven by financial motives where individuals were paid by the piece and turned in as much as they could," Berlinger said.

ACORN said an employee it fired has falsely reported voter fraud to get back at the organization.

"He was terminated for a number of violations of ACORN rules. He wanted his job back, we wouldn’t give it to him," said Faith Gay. "He is trying to put the spotlight on the entity that fired him."

She said she was unaware of problems with registration forms turned in by its employees. The group registered 212,298 voters in Florida this year. It hired about 200 people as part of the registration drive.

Among problems that have been reported to the state:

3,000 photocopied registration forms were turned into Leon County elections officials. Most switched voters’ party affiliation to Republican without their knowledge.

Alachua County learned people had their party affiliation changed to Republican against their will. The problem was discovered in a batch of 1,200 forms turned in by one man. Each of the forms registered voters as Republican.

Two dozen voter registration forms in Duval County contained addresses that don’t exist.

At least three forged signatures were found on voter registration forms in Bay County.

Some students in Orange County were reregistered to vote without their knowledge after signing petitions.

"We take these issues seriously because they impact the voters of our state," said Alia Faraj, a Department of State spokeswoman.

"If anyone has any information on voter fraud, I urge them to please contact their supervisor of elections or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement."

The FDLE doesn’t plan to contact voters as part of the investigation before the Nov. 2 election, saying the department believes they are victims of fraud and it would rather focus on the people that tampered with registration forms.

"We don’t want to scare anybody away from the polls," Berlinger said.

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