Report claims congressional candidate Kathy Castor illegally entered Tampa polling place

TAMPA, Fla. - Congressional candidates Kathy Castor and James Judge are in a political back-and-forth over a report that Castor illegally entered a polling place last week in Tampa. 

It happened at the Jan Platt Library and now her office is responding with its side of the story.

The office of U.S. Representative Kathy Castor said she went to the library last week to vote, but once inside, she realized she didn’t have what she needed, so because of that, she left. However, according to a report filed with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office, when a worker asked her if she was there to vote, she said no — instead saying she was there with a film crew to do an interview about early voting.

The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office report stated that on October 24, "Candidate Kathy Castor entered the polling room through the back exit door, she was approached by a poll worker."

According to the report, when asked if she was there to vote, Castor said, "no," adding she was there for an interview. When she told the poll worker who she was, they responded, "If you are not here to vote, candidates are not allowed in the polling place."

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The report went on to say that Castor was alone when she entered through the exit door. She was escorted out. 

According to Florida statutes, no one can enter any polling room or any early voting area during voting hours except:

• Official poll watchers;
• Inspectors;
• Election clerks;
• The supervisor of elections or his or her deputy;
• Persons there to vote, persons in the care of a voter, or persons caring for such voter;
• Law enforcement officers or emergency service personnel there with permission of the clerk or a majority of the inspectors; or
• A person, whether or not a registered voter, who is assisting with or participating in a simulated election for minors, as approved by the supervisor of elections.

"No person, political committee, or other group or organization may solicit voters inside the polling place or within 150 feet of a secure ballot intake station or the entrance to any polling place," the statute states.

Congressional candidates James Judge and Kathy Castor are arguing over whether or not she made a polling violation. 

According to the Hillsborough County report, a camera crew was in the parking lot and did not enter the polling room. 

"I'm not sure why she would do it," said James Judge, candidate for Florida 14th Congressional District. "She's been in Congress since 2006. She should know better than this. She's also an attorney."

Judge, who is Castor's opponent, held a news conference Thursday morning outside the Platt Library where it happened.

"She was here for self-described reasons as being here to encourage people to vote; I think that a crime may have occurred," Judge said.

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As the report explains, she violated the 150-foot exclusion zone which prohibits candidates from campaigning or being within 150 feet of a polling location unless they're there to vote. The report goes on to say Castor "replied she was not there to vote but was there for an interview."

Castor's office emailed a statement to FOX 13 Thursday afternoon explaining what happened. The statement reads in part: 

All campaigning occurred outside of the designated exclusion zone. She was wearing no campaign stickers, holding no campaign signs and had no campaign literature with her at any point inside the exclusion zone. Nor did she talk to any voters. Unfortunately, she did not have what she needed at the time to vote, and like any voter who enters a polling place and does not have what they need, she exited. 

The Tampa Police Department confirmed to FOX 13 Thursday that Judge did in fact file a police report about what happened. Police will be meeting with the Supervisor Elections Office to figure out who will be in charge of investigating the matter.

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Castor's office wants to make it clear while she was there she did not do any campaigning and did not speak with any voters.

Editor's Note: A portion of Castor's statement previously appeared in this story but has been removed due to content unrelated to the story.