- Three residents of a retirement community in Florida face felony charges for casting multiple votes.
- The community is known for its pro-Trump attitude.
- There are under 475 instances of voter fraud in the US 2020 election.
Three residents of a Florida retirement community were arrested and charged over casting more than one ballot during the 2020 presidential election, WKMG reported Monday.
Arrest records show that 72-year-old Joan Halstead, 63-year-old Jay Ketcik, and 61-year-old John Rider face felony charges for voting multiple times — a charge that only two people in Central Florida have been prosecuted for between 2000 and 2020, according to a review by WKMG.
The three are residents of The Villages — a community known as "Florida's friendliest hometown," but also known for residents holding pro-Trump events, according to Rolling Stone. It's unclear if they knew each other.
According to online arrest records, Halstead is accused of voting in person in Florida and by absentee ballot in New York. Similarly, Ketcik is accused of voting by mail in Florida and voting absentee in Michigan.
Rider's details are not specified in his arrest record, but prosecutors told WKMG it's for similar accusations.
They have all since been released with $2,000 bonds.
It's unclear who they voted for, but Ketcik and Halstead are registered online as Republicans. Rider, however, recently switched from a Republican affiliation online to no party affiliation, according to investigative reporter Mike DeForest.
"Multiple voting is unlawful," Christina Pushaw, press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis, said to WKMG. "It isn't a crime to be registered to vote in more than one state, as long as you only vote in one."
Pushaw also told the outlet that Florida is a part of the Electronic Registration Information Center.
"By joining ERIC, Florida gained the ability to crosscheck voter registration data with 30 other member states in order to identify duplicate registrations and outdated records from voters who have moved or passed away, leading to cleaner and more accurate voter registration rolls," Pushaw said. "Though the system is not perfect, it does help ensure election integrity and deter potential fraud."
Meanwhile, DeSantis wants to implement a new office that will focus on voter fraud and the Florida Secretary of State created a website where residents can report voter fraud.
The Associated Press only identified under 475 instances of voter fraud in the United States 2020 election — despite claims from Trump and supporters that the election was stolen from the former president.
The Villages, Sumter County Police Department, Sumter County Sheriffs Department, and DeSantis did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Ketcik, Halstead, and Rider also did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.