Federal agents spotted near Florida early voting sites

Election officials in Florida have reported incidents involving federal agents near early voting locations in Leon and Monroe counties. In Leon County, Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley filed a formal complaint with the FBI after two Customs and Border Protection vehicles were parked outside a busy early voting site for approximately 10 minutes.

In Monroe County, video footage captured masked federal agents conducting an arrest near the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo. Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies expressed concern that the presence of armed agents could intimidate voters and noted that the activity appeared to occur outside the 150-foot non-solicitation zone required by Florida law.

Hodies stated that election officials had received prior reassurances from the Department of Homeland Security that there would be no show of force by federal agencies at polling places. While neither incident has been officially linked to an attempt to interfere with voting, officials warned that the appearance of law enforcement near polling sites may discourage voter participation.