Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday creating a state police unit that will specialize in election-related crimes.
The law establishes the Office of Election Crimes and Security, which will have 15 members whose work will include preliminary investigations of election fraud. DeSantis must also appoint up to ten law enforcement officers to investigate election crimes with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The law also makes ballot harvesting a felony instead of a misdemeanor, and raises fines on organizations that violate election laws from $1,000 to $50,000.
DeSantis said the new election crime unit would be able to assist existing law enforcement at a bill signing ceremony.
“Some of them may not care as much about the election stuff. I think it’s been mixed at how those reactions are going to be,” DeSantis said. “So we just want to make sure whatever laws are on the books, that those laws are enforced.”
The governor also touted Florida’s record in election security.
“I don’t think there is any other place in the country where you should have more confidence that your vote counts than in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
Florida Democrats have criticized the law as indulging voters who believe that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
“DeSantis’ so-called election reform legislation is a continued attack by the Republican Party to generate public distrust in the integrity of our elections,” Democratic state representative Tracie Davis said in a statement.