Astrid Navarrete Quintana Faces Jail Time Under Law Passed After Her Vote
A Florida mother is incarcerated on charges brought under a statute that did not exist when she cast her ballot in November 2024.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Astrid Navarrete Quintana sits in a Lee County jail cell, separated from her toddler and her husband.
The Fort Myers resident is a legal permanent resident who received a voter ID card from the state and believed she was eligible to cast a ballot. She voted on Nov. 5, 2024. Prosecutors now charge her with a felony under Florida Statute 104.155, a law that did not take effect until Feb. 13, 2025.
An I-Team review of charging documents for 12 defendants in Florida’s recent voter fraud crackdown found that eight are facing the same newer offense for votes allegedly cast before the law was enacted. Noncitizen voting was already illegal under the older statute, Section 104.15. However, the newer law removes the requirement that the state prove the voter knew they were ineligible. It also bars a defense based on a mistaken belief about citizenship status.
Connor Martin, Quintana’s attorney, said his client has no prior criminal history. He noted that she turned herself in on an arrest warrant in August. Martin has filed a motion to dismiss the voting count, arguing that the state cannot apply a later-created offense to earlier conduct. He is not challenging her separate charge of falsely affirming citizenship during registration.
“Not well. Not well,” Martin said when asked about his client’s condition. “She’s going through a very traumatic time at the moment.” He added that Quintana had no intention to deceive anyone because she trusted the voter registration card mailed to her home.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the operation at a press conference on Sept. 24, less than six weeks before the midterm elections. The office targeted 20 people, identifying 16 as noncitizens and four as felons on probation. A spokesperson for Uthmeier’s office said the cases remain under investigation but did not answer a specific question about why prosecutors used the newer statute.
Quintana’s legal troubles have complicated her immigration status. An immigration detainer from ICE has been placed on her. Her family has delayed posting bond because they fear she could be transferred into federal custody while her criminal case is pending. Her husband is currently caring for their only child with help from relatives.
“We have a child without a mother, a husband without his wife,” Martin said. The family has started a fundraiser to cover immigration attorney fees as they navigate the criminal and immigration proceedings.
