Last Updated on November 5, 2022
A 55-year-old Florida woman has been arrested and charged with voter fraud related crimes after allegedly casting multiple ballots in 2020. Inspectors with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Election Crime Unit (FDLE) said Cheryl Ann Leslie, 55, who works as a physician’s assistant in Palm Beach County, is facing two counts of casting more than one ballot in an election. Both charges are third-degree felonies.
Law enforcement said Leslie voted in both the 2020 federal and state primary elections in both Florida and Alaska. Her Alaska votes were reportedly submitted by absentee ballot, while her Florida votes were cast early and in-person in Palm Beach County, WFLA reported.
When investigators interviewed her, she said her work requires her to frequently travel between states. The 55-year-old currently works at a senior care facility in Loxahatchee, Florida.
Investigators later uncovered a “pattern of double voting” spanning multiple years. Leslie has also been accused of voting in both states in 2014, 2016 and 2018. She is currently only facing charges in connection with her 2020 election votes, said FDLE spokesperson Gretl Plessinger.
Leslie’s activity was first detected by the Secretary of State’s Office of Election Crimes and Security. The information was then forwarded to FDLE’s election crime unit for further investigation.
“This arrest is yet another confirmation to every eligible Florida voter that the Department of State and FDLE are working together to ensure the integrity of their vote and Florida’s elections process,” said Secretary of State and Chief Election Officer Cord Byrd.
With Leslie’s arrest, the number of Floridians arrested for voter fraud crimes has risen to 19 since August. Last month, the Election Crime Unit arrested Alford Nelson, a native of Jamaica who is not a U.S. citizen, on two counts of voting as an unqualified elector. Investigators said Nelson, 57, voted in two 2022 elections despite not having citizenship. His case is pending in Broward County court, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Nelson allegedly registered to vote using a fake birth certificate.