TALLAHASSEE — The push for a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida is struggling to meet its goals. As of Thursday, the state Division of Elections reported that the initiative backers, known as Smart & Safe Florida, have submitted 714,888 valid signatures. This marks an increase of approximately 40,000 signatures since the last update two months ago, but it still falls short of the 880,062 signatures required to qualify for the ballot in November.
The delay in signature validation comes amid legal scrutiny regarding the legitimacy of some signatures. According to the Division of Elections, county supervisors are currently working to correct their records following court rulings that necessitate the invalidation of certain signatures. These issues include ineligibility of voters and circulators as well as allegations of fraud.
In a significant development, Smart & Safe Florida filed a lawsuit last week in Leon County Circuit Court. This legal action seeks to compel the state elections office to accurately reflect the number of valid signatures vetted by county supervisors on its website. The lawsuit alleges that Secretary of State Cord Byrd and his office have violated state law by failing to update the public record weekly as mandated.
As the February 1 deadline approaches to submit the necessary signatures, tensions are rising. On Tuesday, the website indicated a static count of 675,307 valid signatures since November 23, despite additional signatures being verified during this period. Judge Jonathan Sjostrom has set an expedited schedule to address the lawsuit, prompting the state’s legal team to assert that the website has been updated, albeit with qualifications.
In a declaration, Maria Matthews, Director of the Division of Elections, stated that her office paused updates on valid signature counts after a November 25 court ruling required the invalidation of petitions that did not contain the full text of the proposed amendment. This ruling impacted approximately 200,000 signatures not included in the current totals. Matthews noted that county supervisors had yet to complete the reverification process, which could lead to further adjustments in the reported totals.
The legal disputes surrounding this initiative are further complicated by the actions of the state’s Attorney General, James Uthmeier. Recently, Uthmeier announced the arrest of a Titusville woman, Teagen Marie Targhuhanuchi, for allegedly submitting fraudulent voter registrations linked to the recreational marijuana campaign. Uthmeier emphasized that any fraudulent activity undermines election integrity and vowed to hold those involved accountable.
In an escalation of the investigation into election fraud associated with the signature-gathering efforts, Uthmeier’s office has initiated 46 criminal investigations and issued four subpoenas for documentation from Smart & Safe Florida and its affiliates. Uthmeier is also urging the Florida Supreme Court to block the recreational marijuana proposal from appearing on the ballot, labeling it as misleading and “fatally flawed.”
As the legal and political battles continue, the Florida Supreme Court is set to determine whether the proposed amendment meets the necessary legal standards for ballot placement. Smart & Safe Florida argues that their initiative fulfills all legal requirements and should be allowed to proceed to voters, marking a pivotal moment in Florida’s ongoing debate over recreational marijuana use.
