Florida Legal professional Basic James Uthmeier on Friday introduced the arrest of Alexandria Mary Beatrice Tatem on a cost of Perjury by False Written Declaration, a third-degree felony. The case stems from a joint investigation by the Florida Division of Legislation Enforcement’s Workplace of Govt Investigations and the Elections Crime Unit.
Uthmeier mentioned the arrest underscores the state’s zero-tolerance stance on election fraud. “We is not going to tolerate fraud, not to mention fraud that undermines the integrity of Florida’s nation-leading election system or makes use of the names of deceased voters to vary our state’s structure,” he mentioned in a press release.
Investigators say Tatem, a registered Paid Petition Circulator (PPC), submitted a petition supporting the “Grownup Private Use of Marijuana” constitutional modification (Modification 25-01), sponsored by Good & Protected Florida. The petition allegedly bore the title of Amy Akins, a Florida voter who died on Jan. 10, 2024 — greater than a yr earlier than the date the petition was purportedly signed. The doc was submitted to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
Underneath Florida regulation, PPCs should swear underneath penalty of perjury that every petition they submit was signed of their presence by the named voter. In keeping with the arrest report, Tatem signed the affidavit affirming the petition was accomplished in her presence. In a sworn interview with FDLE on July 1, 2025, in Killeen, Texas, Tatem admitted signing the affidavit and submitting the petition regardless of being proven the voter had died greater than a yr earlier.
Data present Tatem has been registered as a PPC with the Florida Division of State’s Division of Elections since 2019, working within the Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas. Officers mentioned the solid petition was flagged after the voter’s demise date was matched towards the alleged signature date.
The Florida Workplace of Statewide Prosecution is charging Tatem with one rely of Perjury by False Written Declaration, which carries a most penalty of 5 years in jail.
