Ballot Harvesting Indictments Shake Monroe County After 2025 Frisco City Election

February 26, 2026 - Monroe County, Ala. - Three Monroe County women are facing a combined 37 charges connected to what state prosecutors describe as a coordinated ballot‑harvesting operation during the August 26, 2025 Frisco City municipal election.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) announced the indictments on Thursday, marking one of the most significant election‑fraud cases brought in the county in recent years.

Who Was Charged

The defendants - Sarah Bennett, 60; Sharon Denson, 67; and Samantha Kyles, 46 - were each indicted on multiple counts of ballot harvesting and unlawful use of absentee ballots, according to court documents and statements from the Attorney General's Office. Together, the three women face 17 counts of ballot harvesting and 20 counts of unlawful absentee‑ballot use.

Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) said that anyone who is thinking about cheating in the coming primaries should take this as a warning.

"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," said Secretary Allen. "Today's news is the latest example of why I fought so hard to pass SB1, the bill that criminalized absentee ballot application harvesting. Crimes like these are an affront to our elections, our communities and the fabric of our constitutional republic. 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."

Allegations in the Indictment

Prosecutors allege the women:

- Falsified absentee ballot applications

- Submitted fraudulent verification documents

- Collected and harvested ballots from multiple voters

These actions, according to the indictment, were part of a broader effort to manipulate absentee voting in the Frisco City municipal election.

Potential Penalties

Under Alabama law:

- Unlawful use of absentee ballots is a Class C felony, carrying 1 year and 1 day up to 10 years in prison.

- Ballot harvesting is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Bond amounts set for the defendants reflect the number of charges each faces. Bennett's bond was set at $54,000, Denson's at $36,000, and Kyles' at $21,000.

Frisco City has a population of 1,170 in the 2020 census – a significant decrease from the 1309 in 2010 and 1,460 in 2000. The median household income in Frisco City is $21,146. The per capita income is $15,773.

No additional investigative details have been released, and prosecutors have not indicated whether more arrests could follow. The case now moves into the court system, where the defendants will face the full slate of charges tied to the 2025 municipal election.

This stems from the 2025 Mayoral election.

Incumbent Frisco City Mayor Allen Lang filed a lawsuit against Mayor-elect Brandaun Love.

Love won the election but the election results showed that Love received 255 votes. That in itself is not particularly out of the ordinary, but 141 of his 255 votes were absentee ballots. Lang received 165 votes - only 15 of which were absentee.

Alabama law permits absentee ballots only under specific conditions, including illness, disability, or being absent from the county on Election Day.

In the 2024 general election, less than 6 percent of the votes cast were absentee statewide. 37% of the votes in the Frisco City election were absentee ballots which was a red flag for investigators,

Lang alleged in his complaint that individuals associated with Love's campaign violated state ballot harvesting laws by distributing pre-filled absentee ballot applications and submitting ballots on behalf of other voters. This is illegal under Alabama law.

Lang argued in his filing that at least 112 of the 141 absentee ballots cast for Love were fraudulent and should not be counted.

As of press time, Lang is still the Mayor of Frisco City, according to the website.

The Alabama Gazette has attempted to contact the Mayor for comment.

Unlawful use of absentee ballots is a Class C felony punishable by one year and one day to 10 years in prison. Ballot harvesting is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.

The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Division. No further information about the investigation or the alleged crimes is available at this time.

An indictment is not a conviction, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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