SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Several hundred Seminole County voters are receiving alerts following the arrest of a petitioner they may have come in contact with leading up to the 2024 General Election, according to the county’s elections supervisor.
Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Amy Pennock said Wednesday in a news release that 378 voters were to be alerted after being identified as having their signature submitted by the same, paid petitioner for the proposed 2026 Florida marijuana legalization initiative, sponsored by Smart & Safe Florida.
Recommended Videos
The issue comes after this petitioner was arrested in August 2025, accused of unauthorized use of personal identifying information, the release states.
Pennock said she immediately contacted Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma “to coordinate voter notification and ensure appropriate safeguards were in place” after the nearly-400 signatures were identified during her office’s preparation for an upcoming audit.
“Once we learned this individual had been arrested for alleged criminal conduct involving personal identifying information, we moved quickly and transparently to notify voters whose petitions were submitted by this circulator,” Pennock said in a statement. “Voters deserve to be informed and supported whenever there is a potential risk to their personal information.”
See the sample notification in the document viewer below:
Pennock’s office stresses the implicated petition signatures were received before the adoption of HB 1205, “therefore voters would not have received a letter indicating a petition was received and validated by our office,” according to the release.
Any voter who receives this letter and believes their name was misrepresented or forged on a petition is encouraged to contact the Office of Elections Crimes and Security at OECS@dos.fl.gov, the release states.
Readers with further questions were encouraged to call Pennock’s office at 407-585-8683.