FDLE: Florida man says he tampered with mail-in ballot in 2020 election

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — A Florida man has been accused of voter fraud after, authorities said, he tampered with a mail-in ballot.

According to Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson, it was the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that first contacted them about 68-year-old Roland Bauer after the November 2020 elections.

“Allegedly, the father voted the son’s mail ballot,” he said.

Investigators said a man who moved out of the state seven years ago reported that someone posing as him requested, received and submitted a ballot.

FDLE officials said the ballot was requested on the same computer, that Bauer request a ballot for himself, and that it was sent to the home where Bauer lives in Winter Springs.

Bauer initially denied everything, but investigators said he eventually told them, “Yes, I basically got the thing, and I voted, but it didn’t make a difference.”

Officials said the suspect went on to say, “I got the ballot and filled it out. I think I did it a week or two after I voted.”

“I’m very confident in mail ballot systems,” said Anderson.

The election supervisor said a case like this is extremely rare because, other than family, few would have access to enough personal information to get a fraudulent ballot.

“It was a very, very low percentage that actually happens, but again, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen,” he said, “and, as you can see, it is tracked down, and it is prosecuted.”

In the FDLE complaint, Bauer indicated he was upset about the direction of the country.

Anderson said there are other ways to bring about change.

“You don’t have to commit crimes in order to get your way, essentially, because as you can see, crime doesn’t pay,” he said.

While Republicans have made accusations of voter fraud in many states, Florida is not one of them.