Florida Investigators Probe Marijuana Referendum Petitions for Fraud

Election Fraud Investigation

• 🔍 State election crimes investigators have been dispatched to Broward County's elections headquarters to examine marijuana referendum petitions.
• ⚠️ The investigation, requested by the Florida Attorney General's Office, is exploring potential criminal election fraud related to petition circulators.

"Smart and Safe Florida" Initiative

• 🎯 The "Smart and Safe Florida" campaign is working to gather signatures for a constitutional amendment to legalize personal marijuana use.
• 🗓️ The campaign faces a February 1st deadline to collect the required number of signatures for the 2026 ballot.

DeSantis Administration's Stance

• 🏛️ Investigators are looking into whether the campaign knowingly submitted fraudulent petitions.
• 🗣️ A spokesperson for the initiative claims the administration is trying to prevent voters from having their say, citing delays and nullification of petitions.
• ⚖️ This probe follows a previous legalization effort in 2024 that, despite majority support, failed to meet the 60% supermajority threshold to pass.