Florida election officials are fining Smart & Safe Florida – the organization behind the state’s attempted cannabis legalization campaign – $121,850 for allegedly failing to deliver initiative petitions within the 30 days required by law.
It is a Letter to Smart & Safe Florida, Deputy Secretary of State Brad McVay said that the Division of Elections (DOE) and Office of Election Crimes & Security (OCES) received information from the Supervisor of Elections’ offices that organizers delivered 2,437 petition forms for last year’s failed initiative after the deadline. These petitions relate to Alachua and Citrus counties, as well as Columbia, Leon, Clay, and Columbia.
McVay accused the group also of violating other electoral laws, such as submitting “forged” or “fraudulent” petitions. In another LetterMcVay states that one of these petitions was “purportedly sign by a Florida vote in February 2025. In fact, this voter is deceased and has been since November 2024.” Additionally, McVay says that some voters who received information packages from Smart & Safe Florida – which contained a petition, campaign mailer, and stamped envelope – submitted the petition more than once. The Letter notes that the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections has referred more than 100 voters to OCES over potential multiple submissions.
In a letter to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, Smart & Safe Florida said that the inclusion of multiple petitions in mailers “included both a pre-filled version and a blank one” meant to target “multi-voter households and intended the blank form to be completed by someone different than the person identified on the pre-filled form.”
There are duplicate petitions because some people filled them out in their names and sent them back. We do not believe (voters filling out and returning both petitions in their name) was done with any malice or purposeful intent – just a case of confusion with the mailing process.” — Smart & Safe Florida, in a letter to Palm Beach County Board of Supervisors via Florida Department of State
McVay claimed that the materials in these mailers were unapproved material by state officials. According to the letter, the form approved by the Secretary of State “did not include a hyperlink” while the forms mailed to voters did, and that the hyperlink to the proposed amendment ran afoul of rules that require “the full text of the associated proposed amendment…be provided or displayed” before a voter signs the petition.
The group is asked to stop “using, mailing, or distributing non-approved petition forms”.
The Smart & Safe campaign told Florida’s Voice that the claims “appear to be a targeted effort to thwart the ability for the people of Florida to express their support of a citizen-driven amendment.”
We stand behind the process, and have had legal counsel review all forms and communication prior to mailing. “We look forward to challenging these claims and will continue to do so.” — Smart & Safe Florida campaign, via Florida’s Voice
Florida’s constitution requires a 60% majority to approve ballot amendments.
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