Voting rights advocates decry Florida’s new office for election crimes

A man leaves a polling place at the Sunset Lakes Community Center as voting takes place in a special congressional election in Miramar, Florida on 11 January. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Florida has approved a measure that would create a statewide office to investigate election crimes – the first of its kind in the United States.

Voter fraud is extremely rare both nationwide and in Florida. Nonetheless, the new office of election crime and security will have 25 positions to investigate election fraud and be funded with more than $3m, Daniel Perez, a Republican state representative who backed the bill, said on the floor of the Florida house this week.