New report shows Florida Democrats helped 5 inmates illegally register to vote for the 2020 election

A Florida prosecutor on Thursday filed felony voter fraud charges against five inmates after a state investigation found that the Alachua County’s election supervisor held a voter registration drive inside the Florida prison in July 2020.

According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times, the accused men listed the county jail as their home address on their voter forms and at least four of them voted in the 2020 elections, although they all had outstanding court fees from prior felony cases – thus making them ineligible to vote under Florida law.

“I just knew it was to good to be true and the guy told me it was OK to vote as a felon,” said Henry Thomas Shuler III, 38, of Gainesville, referring to Alachua County election worker T.J. Pyche.

Pyche said he was unaware of the charges brought against him until he was contacted by Fresh Take Florida and resigned from the agency in July – shortly after the state’s investigation was launched.

Although charges were just filed this week, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has reportedly been investigating complaints about inmates who may have been improperly registered as voters by Alachua County election officials since the middle of last year.

According to officials, Elections Supervisor Kim A. Barton organized a voter registration drive at the Alachua County Jail on July 15, 2020 – just ahead of the 2020 presidential election between then-President Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

After concerns were raised to the state attorney and sheriff’s offices about 18 inmates illegally registering to vote, Barton said it was the responsibility of the inmates filling out registration papers to confirm they were eligible – saying, in a statement, that it was “categorically false” to claim that anyone from her office intentionally registered ineligible voters.  

However, several inmates have maintained that they were told that they were eligible by the election officials.

“He told me it was OK to vote as a felon, and I ask him would I be in trouble or anything else,” Shuler wrote from prison. He said he was told it was legal for him to register and vote.

Pyche’s lawyer, Ron Kozlowski, said his client was unaware that Shuler or the others who registered from the jail that day were ineligible. After the complaints were lodged, the sheriff, Clovis Watson, referred the case to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, a state agency that is part of the DeSantis administration.

“If they are not convicted felons, or if they are and meet the requirements provided by Florida statute, they perhaps have the right to vote,” said Klein, the county voting office spokesman. “They absolutely have the right to vote if they are legally able to.”

Since the investigation was launched, all five inmates have been removed from voter registries and are reportedly still incarcerated.