Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the arrests of three Monroe County residents on Thursday on charges of ballot harvesting and unlawful use of absentee ballots in the August 2025 Frisco City municipal election.
Sarah Bennett, Sharon Denson and Samantha Kyles face a combined 17 counts of ballot harvesting and 20 counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots.
The indictment alleges that each defendant falsified absentee ballot applications or verification documents and harvested the ballots of multiple individuals.
Unlawful use of absentee ballots is a Class C felony punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison. Ballot harvesting is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.
The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said on Thursday, “I want to thank law enforcement and Attorney General Steve Marshall and his staff for the hard work and quality investigation skills that led to these important indictments.”
“Today’s news is the latest example of why I fought so hard to pass SB1, the bill that criminalized absentee ballot application harvesting,” Allen said. “Crimes like these are an affront to our elections, our communities and the fabric of our constitutional republic. As we approach the May 19 elections, anyone planning to engage in this illegal activity should consider this a warning. You will not get away with it.”
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