Florida Grand Jury Urges Change in Laws to Prevent Absentee Voter Fraud

The Miami-Dade County Grand Jury has issued a final report urging changes in Florida law to prevent absentee ballot voter fraud and to expand early voting periods. Among other points the report recommends that all absentee voter signatures be witnessed by someone over the age of 18 and that anyone providing assistance to an absentee voter sign a declaration which will be returned to with the ballot. The grand jury also recommends that statewide legislation prohibit the possession of more than two absentee ballots by any person. This suggestion was prompted by the practice of “ballot brokering” which occurs when a person is hired by a candidate to deliver in bulk completed absentee ballots .

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Thomas D. Shults, Esq.

About Thomas D. Shults, Esq.

Tom Shults is a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. He has represented clients in election and sunshine law issues, complex business and commercial disputes and probate and trust suits. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1983 and has maintained an active trial practice in state and federal courts for over 35 years. Mr. Shults successfully represented the Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections in Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections et al. v. Browning et al. , where the Florida Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of Sarasota County’s charter election law amendments. Mr. Shults has served on the Professional Ethics Committee of The Florida Bar and is the past Chairman of the Code and Rules of Evidence Committee of The Florida Bar. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Community Service Award of the Sarasota County Bar Association for his work with the Sarasota Mental Health Community Centers. In 2013 he was nominated for circuit court judge by the 12th Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee. Mr. Shults has served on the faculty of the Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques at Emory University School of Law and on the faculty of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy Program for Practicing Lawyers at Nova Southeastern University School of Law. Mr. Shults grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida and is a graduate of St. Petersburg High School (1973), Florida State University (B.S. 1977) and Washburn University School of Law (J.D. cum laude 1982). He is veteran of the United States Army.
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