ELECTION FRAUD FOUND IN HOMECOMING VOTES

The report about vote tampering reached the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in early November: Someone had gained access to electronic accounts without authorization. At least 117 votes had been suspiciously cast — in J.M. Tate High School’s election for homecoming court.

It was a case reminiscent of the 1999 dark comedy film “Election.”

Department agents arrested Laura Carroll, 50, and her daughter, Emily Grover, 17, on Monday and charged them with conspiracy to use Carroll’s school district login to help Grover get elected homecoming queen.

A five-month investigation found that the login for Carroll, an assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School near Pensacola, was used to gain access to the internal accounts of 372 Tate High students since August. The accounts include personal information such as students’ grades, medical history and disciplinary records.

Students use the same accounts with an application to cast votes for homecoming.

Grover was expelled, according to police records, a decision that the family contested, but the expulsion was upheld. Carroll was suspended from her job, Tim Smith, the superintendent of the Escambia public schools, said in an email. He declined to comment further.

Carroll was taken into custody Monday and released on $8,500 bail. Grover was sent to juvenile detention for an evaluation, according to the Department of Law Enforcement.

The school district’s elections contractor contacted school administrators in October after flagging more than 100 votes that were cast in a short period of time, all from the same IP address. The student council coordinator also heard reports that Grover had boasted about using her mother’s login to get into students’ accounts during the election, according to witness statements.

Investigators later determined through IP addresses that 124 votes had been cast from Carroll’s phone, and 122 from Carroll’s and Grover’s residence.

On Oct. 30, Grover was elected homecoming queen.