Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of Alexandria Mary Beatrice Tatem for Perjury by False Written Declaration, a third-degree felony in Florida. The case stems from 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, a registered Paid Petition Circulator (PPC), submitted a petition supporting Amendment 25-01, also known as Adult Personal Use of Marijuana, which is sponsored by Smart & Safe Florida. The petition included a signature purportedly from Amy Akins, a voter who died on January 10, 2024—over a year before the alleged signing date. The document was filed with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
State law requires PPCs to swear under penalty of perjury that each petition was signed in their presence by the listed voter. Tatem affirmed this on the affidavit attached to the petition. In a sworn interview with FDLE on July 1, 2025, in Killeen, Texas, she admitted to signing and submitting the document after being shown evidence that Akins had been deceased for more than a year prior.
Records indicate 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 discovered irregularities when they saw that Akins’ death predated her supposed signature.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution is pursuing one count of Perjury by False Written Declaration against Tatem. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison.
