Three Republicans From The Villages Reportedly Arrested For Casting Multiple Votes in 2020 Election

 
Vote Counting in Michigan

Photo credit: Jeff Kowalsky, AFP via Getty Images

As former President Donald Trump continues to baselessly insist that he was denied victory in the 2020 election due to mass voter fraud, three Central Florida Republican residents have been arrested on charges of casting multiple ballots.

The Villages News reports that Joan Halstead, a 72-year-old denizen of The Villages — a massive Florida retirement community — was arrested two weeks ago under felony charges for allegedly casting two ballots last November. The outlet reviewed documents from Sumter County Court, and Halstead stands accused of casting an in-person 2020 election vote while also casting an absentee ballot in New York.

Halstead’s arrest comes as Bill Keen, the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections, leads an ongoing investigation into voting irregularities that were detected in the area last year. The investigation already led to an arrest warrant for Jay Ketcik, another resident of The Villages, who recently surrendered himself to Sumpter County in order to face felony voter fraud charges.

Ketcik allegedly cast a mail-in ballot in Florida last October, but also cast an absentee ballot in his native state of Michigan. ClickOrlando reports that a third Floridian, John Rider, was arrested on similar charges as prosecutors claim he voted in and outside of Florida.

Court records don’t say who the three voted for, though all three are registered Republicans, and Ketcik and Halstead both reportedly had Facebook pages where they clearly showed support for former President Donald Trump. Christina Pushaw, press secretary for Governor Ron DeSantis (R), responded to the news by telling ClickOrlando, “Multiple voting is unlawful. It isn’t a crime to be registered to vote in more than one state, as long as you only vote in one.”

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