Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of Alexandria Mary Beatrice Tatem on charges of Perjury by False Written Declaration, a third-degree felony in Florida. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Office of Executive Investigations and the Elections Crime Unit.
“We will not tolerate fraud, let alone fraud that undermines the integrity of Florida’s nation-leading election system or uses the names of deceased voters to change our state’s constitution,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “This arrest shows our commitment to upholding the law and protecting the sanctity of Florida’s elections. My office will continue to lead the charge against any form of voter fraud in Florida.”
Investigators found that Tatem, who was registered as a Paid Petition Circulator (PPC), submitted a petition supporting an amendment initiative titled Adult Personal Use of Marijuana (Amendment 25-01). This initiative was sponsored by Smart & Safe Florida. The petition falsely stated it was signed by Amy Akins, a voter who died on January 10, 2024, more than a year before the petition’s alleged signing date. The petition was filed with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
Under state law, PPCs must confirm under oath that each petition they submit was signed in their presence by the named voter. Tatem signed such an affidavit on this petition. During a sworn interview with FDLE investigators on July 1, 2025, in Killeen, Texas, Tatem acknowledged she had signed and submitted the petition after being shown evidence that Akins had died over a year earlier.
Tatem has been registered as a PPC with Florida’s Division of Elections since 2019 and has collected petitions in both Tampa Bay and Sarasota regions. Election officials detected the fraudulent petition when they saw that Akins had died prior to its alleged signing.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution is charging Tatem with one count of Perjury by False Written Declaration, which carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison.
