Surveillance photos suggest Susan Plasencia doesn’t live where she’s registered to vote
Pictures from a private investigator show Susan Plasencia staying regularly at a home where she is no longer registered to vote.

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She voted absentee from a new address, but a private investigator never saw her visit that crowded home.

Republican House candidate Susan Plasencia changed her voter registration this year to a new home as she campaigns in House District 37. She voted from that new address during the August Republican Primary.

But the east Orlando home, a three-bedroom house just off Colonial Drive, also serves as the address to four other registered voters.

Florida Politics obtained photographs taken by a private investigator suggesting Plasencia still lives at a prior address, one where her mother still maintains a homestead. There’s no indication in the private report that Plasencia regularly steps foot near the home where she is now registered to vote.

Plasencia, an Orlando Republican, won the Republican nomination in HD 37 in August. She now faces state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat seeking a fourth term in the House.

Plasencia, after a previous version of the story was published, said she in fact lives at the same address where she is registered, but has obligations at the former home where her mother still lives.

“My voter registration and where I reside are the same address.  Earlier this year, I moved residences. In doing so I renounced my homestead exemption at my former residence and updated my address with the appropriate state and local entities,” Plasencia said in an email.

“My life is very busy with work, campaigning and most importantly, caring for my mother, who is in hospice at her home. She requires 24-hour care and I cover the night shift. The fact that my opponent hired someone to stalk me during this difficult time for my family is both disrespectful and creepy. Anyone who cares for Alzheimer’s patients knows the demands they require.”

Florida Politics did not receive the investigative report from Smith or his campaign.

It is not uncommon for political candidates to move to new political jurisdictions in order to run for office. With a new House map approved this year as part of a once-a-decade redistricting process, at least seven House incumbents seeking re-election filed in districts requiring them to move.

Plasencia was previously registered to vote at a home on Belles Lane that she and mother Norma Plasencia purchased in 2016. That home on the new House map sits in House District 35, where GOP state Rep. Fred Hawkins is seeking re-election.

Property records still list Susan Plasencia as a partial owner for the Belles Lane home, though she requested in February of 2021 that her name be taken off a homestead exemption. An exemption remains in her mother’s name.

The candidate shifted her voter registration to a new property on Sue Ann Street as of March 2, according to a voter audit report provided by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections. That’s a property owned since 2004 by Hector Hernandez, an Orlando Republican also registered to vote from the address.

In addition to Placensia and Hernandez, three other adults are registered to vote from the location. It notably is a bipartisan household, home to Democrats Ana Gonzalez, Xavier Hernandez and David Gonzalez Perez. And indeed, Plasencia in political advertisements has expressed a commitment to working across the aisle.

But political disagreements aren’t the most significant threat to quality of life in the home. Property records show the property hosts in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house with just 1,060 square feet of living area on a single floor.

That’s considerably smaller than Plasencia’s prior living space. The house still serving as her mother’s home address has 2,332 square feet of living space, and has two bathrooms.

Discomfort alone may not prove Plasencia lives somewhere other than where she’s registered to vote. But findings of a private investigator raise further questions about her residency.

Documents obtained by Florida Politics show the investigator conducted surveillance on the Sue Ann Street property, where Plasencia is registered to vote, from mid-August to late September. Of note, another woman who is not registered to vote at the location was seen regularly coming and going from the location with her own child. That’s potentially two more people living inside or at least visiting the crowded house. But the investigator never saw Plasencia or her vehicle at the home.

Meanwhile, he reported seeing Plasencia and red Ford Fusion registered to the candidate at the Belles Lane address where she was previously registered.

The investigator documented Plasencia leaving that home for a round trip to Staples on Aug. 25, then staying in the home the rest of the day. On Sept. 4, Plasencia’s car was parked in front of that home as early at 7:45 a.m. The investigator also reported the car was in the driveway after 3 a.m. on the mornings of Sept. 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22.

All those dates were after Plasencia had voted by mail in the Republican Primary election while registered as a voter in HD 37 at the Sue Ann Street address.

Discrepancy in her home address doesn’t necessarily raise issues about Plasencia’s candidacy. The Florida Constitution only requires candidates for the House to be residents of their districts at the point of their election. That means Plasencia only needs to be a resident of HD 37 by midnight of the General Election on Nov. 8 in order to take office should she win.

But Florida’s voting laws could create a greater headache for the candidate. Voting statutes state: “A person is not permitted to vote in any election precinct or district other than the one in which the person has his or her legal residence and in which the person is registered.” To change addresses requires voters to affirm through a change of legal residence. Violating the law constitutes a third-degree felony.

As for what establishes legal residency, that’s not black and white in statute. Residency can be verified by what is reflected on a driver’s license, tax receipts, bank accounts, homestead exemptions, evidence of purchase or rental of a new property, or relocation of personal effects, according to a candidate handbook provided by the state. But it also says the ultimate determination of residency must be made by the courts.

PI report 1 by Jacob Ogles on Scribd

PI 2 by Jacob Ogles on Scribd

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


11 comments

  • Linwood Wright

    October 26, 2022 at 10:15 pm

    Voter fraud, when it exists, is almost 100% commited by Republicans.

    • Tjb

      October 27, 2022 at 9:53 am

      Where are the Election Police Force that DeSantis created? Oops! A stupid question. She is a Republican.

  • Mickey

    October 27, 2022 at 12:23 pm

    This is just stalking and has nothing to do with who would be the best to represent Floridians in that district. Residency requirements are broad and she’s ok. This us just a political hit from the left and sick stalking. Her opponent has nearly 100 grand more than her in campaign coffers Why this level of stalking and dirty politics must mean the district leans more Republican than comfortable

    • The Unknown Soldier

      October 28, 2022 at 1:23 am

      If a regular person voted in a district where they don’t live in, they will be charged with voter fraud. But, for a politician like placenta it is ok!!!
      All voters should demand that placenta gets charged for voter fraud since she voted in a district where doesn’t legally reside in.

  • TheOrangeLOST

    October 27, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    Plasencia= Voter. fraud. Period.

  • Scro

    October 27, 2022 at 8:05 pm

    Susan was funded like all the other Republican cronies, from Hayes Street. The whole field is corrupt. Left right purple zebra clown and beavers. Everyone is owned. Anyone sitting here blathering about left v right fits right in with the populace of Idiocracy.

  • martha

    October 29, 2022 at 1:21 pm

    She is a liar, fraud and corrupt!! She should be charged for voter fraud like any regular citizen. In addition to banning her from holding office. If her mother has Alzheimer as she pretends, she should have voted in district 35 where she physically lives. Her mother sickness should not be an excuse for committing a fraud. The orange county sheriff should arrest her and charge her for voter fraud period.

  • kilimini

    October 29, 2022 at 3:25 pm

    “Eat America First” candidate Susan Plasencia is corrupt, bought and paid for by the GOP and corporations. Just look into her campaign expenditures, the women is grifting and living off her campaign contributions. She is feeding her fat self and family at Carrabba`s and Dunkin` Donuts . She is also using the GOP`s contributions to purchase supplies for her “Event Planning” company. Not to mention all the money she pours into her and her children`s gas tanks.
    Plasencia= Voter Fraud and Corporate Grifter

  • Republicans are corrupt

    October 29, 2022 at 3:35 pm

    The fraudulent Republican candidate Plasencia is talking about HONESTY and ethics in ballotpedia while living off her campaign contributions and lying about her real physical address!!
    Hey Susan! how much more money are you going to extract from your campaign to “REPAIR” the bus owned by your ethical brother Rene Plasencia??

    • Ivette2030

      October 29, 2022 at 4:07 pm

      The fraudulent Susan Plasencia calls herself a “SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WOMAN ” , in most of her ads, while making only 18k/ year from her business. My mother, who makes 500k from her business, doesn’t portray herself as a businesswoman let alone a successful one. Such an irony!!

  • chochita_coracon

    October 29, 2022 at 4:28 pm

    Susan is pulling the victim card after getting caught. She calls her opponent, “creepy and disrespectful…”, overlooking the fact that she is the one who committed a voter fraud not him. Whoever hired the private investigator doesn’t matter, what matters is her lies and voter fraud. Besides, hiring a private investigator is legal, but what is illegal is voting in a district where you don`t live in.

Comments are closed.


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