Sumter County man arrested for signing vote-by-mail ballot in dead father's name

THE VILLAGES, Fla. - Sumter County elections officials are charging Robert Rivernider with forgery and fraud that they say happened during the 2020 elections.

Sumter County deputies arrested Rivernider at his home in Wildwood, just outside The Villages. Elections officials say he signed a vote-by-mail ballot for his father, who passed away in October 2020. Lake County elections supervisor Alan Hays says he's glad Sumter officials made the arrest.

"It saddens me that anybody would try such a stunt, but as an election official who is proudly standing for election integrity," Hays said, "I'm glad the person was found out."

Sumter's elections leaders accuse Rivernider, who was a registered Republican, of forging his late father's signature and mailing in the ballot. They say their staff researched signatures on both father and son's past mail-in votes and determined that the signature was only a match for the son's.

"Every single signature on those return envelopes is checked by our people, and if we think there is any reason to disallow it, then we do," Hays said.

UCF political science professor Aubrey Jewett said it was important for voters to have confidence in our elections. "We absolutely want in a democracy to have people have faith that the elections are secure, so they feel confident that this is a country where we decide things at the ballot box."

Rivernider didn't return FOX35’s phone calls or messages. He was booked into the Sumter County detention center and released after posting $10,000 bond.

At least four other Villagers have been arrested for tampering with the 2020 vote. Residents said it was important to keep the vote secure. "Anybody who does something like that is wrong," said Villages resident Dan Schwab, "it doesn't matter what side of the fence you're on."