A couple of residents of The Villages retirement community in Florida, a Republican stronghold, admitted to casting multiple ballots in the 2020 election.
Charles Franklin Barnes, 64, and Jay Ketcik, 63, acknowledged voting twice and have entered a pretrial diversion program to allow them to avoid prison time if they complete court-ordered requirements, which include completing a 12-week adult civics class, performing 50 hours of community service, and paying a $50 monthly fee to the Department of Corrections, in addition to $400 in fees and costs, according to records reported by ClickOrlando on Tuesday.
“The Parties agree that the first step in rehabilitation is to the admission of his wrongdoing,” the written contracts state.
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The contracts will defer the prosecution the two face for 18 months and could permanently defer it if they complete the requirements.
Barnes told investigators he voted in Florida and his home state of Connecticut because he “wanted to see if he could vote twice.” He was not affiliated with a political party at the time.
Ketcik, who was registered as a Republican in November 2020 and voted in Michigan and Florida, told investigators before his December 2021 arrest that his mail-in vote in Michigan was sent “by mistake” and he intended “to be a Florida resident and vote in Florida.”
The two residents of The Villages make up half the four people from the retiree community who have been accused of voting more than once in the 2020 election. Joan Halstead, 71, and John Rider, 61, are still awaiting trial and have pleaded not guilty.
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Residents of The Villages, home to over 100,000 mostly white seniors and 50 golf courses, have drawn election time headlines in recent years. A pro-Trump golf cart parade drew 1,250 carts while more than 300 golf carts participated in a pro-Biden parade.
The Villages has not yet responded to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
