Three women from Monroe County, Alabama, have been indicted on multiple ballot fraud charges tied to alleged irregularities during the August 26, 2025, municipal election in Frisco City.
The defendants have been identified as Sarah Bennett, 60, Sharon Denson, 67, and Samantha Kyles, 46.
They face a combined total of 37 criminal counts, according to an announcement from Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office.
The charges include 17 counts of ballot harvesting, classified as a Class A misdemeanor, and 20 counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots, a Class C felony.
“The indictment alleges that each defendant falsified absentee ballot applications or verification documents and harvested the ballots of multiple individuals,” the attorney general’s office said.
Breakdown of the Charges
Court records outline the specific charges facing each defendant.
Sarah Bennett faces 18 counts, including:
• Nine counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots or changing ballots
• Nine counts of submitting absentee ballot applications on behalf of another person
Sharon Denson faces 12 counts, including:
• Six counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots
• Six counts of submitting false ballot applications
Samantha Kyles faces seven counts, including:
• Four counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots
• Three counts of submitting false ballot applications
Prosecutors allege the ballots and applications involved were connected to approximately 20 individuals.
Under Alabama law, unlawful use of absentee ballots carries a potential penalty of one year and one day to 10 years in prison, while ballot harvesting can result in up to one year in jail.
Arrests and Bond Amounts
Following the indictments, the three women were booked into the Monroe County Jail.
Reported bond amounts were:
• $54,000 for Bennett
• $36,000 for Denson
• $21,000 for Kyles
The cases are now proceeding in Monroe County Circuit Court.
Secretary of State Warns Against Election Crimes
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen praised the investigation and warned that election-related crimes will be prosecuted.
“I want to thank law enforcement and Attorney General Steve Marshall and his staff for the hard work and quality investigation skills that lead to these important indictments,” Allen said.
“Today’s news is the latest example of why I fought so hard to pass SB1, the bill that criminalized absentee ballot application harvesting,” he added.
Allen also issued a warning ahead of the upcoming elections.
“Crimes like these are an affront to our elections, our communities and the fabric of our constitutional republic,” Allen said.
“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.”
Case Linked to New Election Integrity Law
The charges stem from Alabama Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which made the unauthorized handling or collection of absentee ballot applications a criminal offense.
The case is one of the first known prosecutions under the law since its passage.
Authorities said the indictments relate specifically to the Frisco City municipal election and do not indicate broader irregularities in the contest or other elections.
Officials have not released further details about how investigators identified the alleged ballot issues while the case remains under active prosecution.
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