SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A judge has issued a temporary injunction against Seminole County’s Supervisor of Elections for potential campaign law violations.
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The suit accuses Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson of soliciting voters at the early voting location at his office, interfering with an election and campaigning while on duty.
Anderson is seeking re-election to his current role as the supervisor of elections in Seminole County.
The judge ruled that some of Anderson’s campaign signs violated statutes and that certain actions he took while interacting with voters were considered soliciting.
“From the record, it appears that SOE has intermingled the official actions of the Supervisor with that of an incumbent candidate in a manner which is likely to be confusing to the voters,” Judge Donna Goerner wrote in her order for injunctive relief.
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Goerner ordered Anderson to immediately remove his name from signage inside of polling locations and said Anderson could not visit polling sites or engage with active voters unless he was serving in his official capacity as supervisor of election.
“It appears at least to my client and other members of the public that he is using his office to try to campaign. And that’s against the law,” said Philip Kaprow, an elections law attorney who filed the lawsuit for injunctive relief.
While Kaprow once served as general counsel for Anderson, that relationship soured in 2023. Still Kaprow said this lawsuit is not personal.
“As anticipated, the Court recognizes the impropriety of any candidate, including the sitting Supervisor, interacting with voters both actively and passively once they cross into the 150 foot No Solicitation Zone and in the poll site itself. We look forward to Monday’s hearing and the opportunity to present evidence to the judge why the signage within the 150 Foot No Solicitation Zone is equally problematic,” said Kaprow.
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Channel 9 did not hear back from Anderson in response to the injunction order, but Channel 9 Crews did note Sunday, that early voting signage bearing Anderson’s name had been removed from at least one polling site.
Anderson’s opponent in the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Race, Amy Pennock also provided Channel 9 with a statement on the temporary injunction.
“No one is above the law, and when tasked with an obligation as significant as the security of the vote, you must be above any indication of impropriety,” said Pennock, “As he enforces the laws with other candidates, he should do the same with his campaign. You cannot be a law maker and a law breaker at the same time.”
A preliminary injunction hearing is set for tomorrow at 8:15 a.m.
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Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates to this developing story.
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