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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Florida woman has been arrested following a voter petition fraud investigation, Attorney General James Uthmeier says.
What happened?
What we know:
On Friday, Uthmeier announced the arrest of Alexandria Mary Beatrice Tatem. The arrest follows a joint investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's (FDLE) Office of Executive Investigations and the Elections Crime Unit.
According to the investigation, Tatem, a registered Paid Petition Circulator (PPC), submitted a petition in support of a constitutional amendment initiative titled Adult Personal Use of Marijuana (Amendment 25-01), sponsored by Smart & Safe Florida.
Uthmeier said the petition falsely claimed to have been signed by Amy Akins, a Florida voter who passed away on Jan. 10, 2024 — more than a year before the date the petition was allegedly signed. The petition was submitted to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
Per state law, PPCs must swear under penalty of perjury that each petition they submit was signed in their presence by the named voter. Tatem allegedly signed the affidavit on the petition affirming it was completed in her presence.
During a sworn interview conducted by the FDLE on July 1, Tatem confirmed she signed the affidavit and submitted the petition, even after being shown that the voter listed had died more than a year prior.
Detectives said the investigation revealed Tatem had been registered as a PPC with the Florida Department of State's Division of Elections since 2019. She collected and submitted petitions in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota regions. Election officials identified the alleged forged petition due to the voter's death before the date of the alleged signature.
What's next:
The Office of Statewide Prosecution is charging Tatem with one count of perjury by false written declaration, a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
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What they're saying:
"We will not tolerate fraud, let alone fraud that undermines the integrity of Florida's nation-leading election system or uses the names of deceased voters to change our state’s constitution," Uthmeier said. "This arrest shows our commitment to upholding the law and protecting the sanctity of Florida’s elections. My office will continue to lead the charge against any form of voter fraud in Florida."
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in a news release on Aug. 15, 2025.