The Orange County Supervisor of Elections office say they discovered Nazi-affiliated swastika symbols painted on trees near an early voting site at Taft Community Center in Orlando late Thursday.
They’re currently investigating the antisemitic paint job with the help of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and are working with the county government to get the symbols removed.
“These symbols represent a history of hatred, antisemitism and violence. Their presence in our community is deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” Supervisor of Elections Kathy Castor-Dentel said in a statement. “Hatred has no place in our community, and it has no place in our elections.”
Taft Community Center, located on South Orange Avenue just west of Orlando International Airport, is one of 27 early voting sites in Orange County. Early voting in Orange County began Oct. 19 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1.
According to the Orange County elections office, election officials are working with the Orange County government to get rid of the Nazi symbols, which fall within a continued pattern of Nazi displays showing up in the county.
In late August, Nazi symbols and salutes were performed by audience members at a MMA event at the Kia Center that featured a known neo-Nazi pitted against an Israeli fighter. In 2023, self-proclaimed neo-Nazis protested outside Disney World and displayed banners over I-4 featuring Nazi imagery, with consequences for those involved.
State and federal law protects the right of voters to vote free from intimidation, coercion or threats. Under Florida statutes, it’s a third-degree felony to directly or indirectly attempt to “influence, deceive, or deter any elector in voting.”
“The Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office takes these protections seriously and remains committed to upholding them,” the office shared in an email about the incident.
Blake Summerlin, a Supervisor of Elections Office spokesperson, told Orlando Weekly that they’re also working with the sheriff’s office to research potential traffic cameras and security footage nearby that could have captured the culprit in action.
As of publication, Orange County has already seen a voter turnout of nearly 32 percent. More than 260,000 Orange County voters — about half of them registered Democrats — have cast their ballots for the 2026 general election through early voting or vote-by-mail.
As of 3:30 p.m. Friday, 129,210 Democrats have cast ballots for the general election, compared to 70,310 Republicans, 55,999 No Party Affiliated voters, and 6,609 “other” voters.
You can find a list of early voting sites and their estimated wait times here.
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