September 4, 2026 · Ormond Beach Buzz
Fake Mailers, Hijacked Websites: Local Elections Are Seeing a New Kind of "Fraud"
Election fraud usually brings to mind illegal voting. But a different problem has been spreading through Flagler and Volusia county races: deceptive campaign materials designed to look official when they aren't.
- Fraudulent mailers, hijacked campaign websites and disinformation texts have hit local candidates at least three times in four years.
- Unlike a single illegal ballot, these tactics reach thousands of voters at once.
- In St. Johns County, five people were charged in July 2026 over mailers mimicking an official party voter guide.
- Florida law requires a paid-for-by disclaimer on political material — read it, don't skim it.
- Two questions to ask any voter guide: who is behind it, and can its claims be verified?
Reporting by Staff report for the Ormond Beach Buzz.
