ORLANDO, Fla. — Swastikas painted on trees outside an early voting site in the Orlando area were removed Friday, and investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are now trying to learn who put them there.
The symbols turned up outside the Taft Community Center, a South Orange Avenue site that is one of the county’s early voting locations. Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel said in a statement that her office worked with Orange County government to get the markings taken down quickly and alerted the sheriff’s office.
Castor Dentel called the symbols a reminder of hatred, antisemitism and violence and said seeing them in the community was disturbing and unacceptable. She said every voter deserves to feel safe and welcome when they show up to cast a ballot.
Officials said they do not yet know who painted the trees, why, or how long the markings had been there. Businesses across the street have security cameras, but they told investigators the footage did not clearly show anything.
Voting did not stop. The Taft site and the rest of the county’s 27 early voting locations stayed open. The elections office reminded voters that intimidation at the polls is against the law and that state and federal protections cover threats and coercion aimed at people casting ballots.
Orange County is one of the Central Florida counties that kept early voting open through Sunday, Nov. 1, with hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Neighboring Seminole County is also open through Sunday, while Brevard, Lake, Volusia and several other nearby counties wrapped up early voting on Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is the last chance for Orange County voters who skip the early period.
Section: More Orlando FL politics news
Filed under: Orlando FL Politics News
