November 18, 2025
Turning Point leader pleads guilty to forging ballot signatures
Election fraud crusader admits forging 100 signatures including dead voter
🗳️Elections🔐Ethics⚖️Justice
Austin Smith pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2025 to forging more than 100 signatures on his 2024 ballot petitions to qualify for re-election to the Arizona House. He admitted signing the name of a deceased woman on one of his candidate nomination petitions in Mar. 2024. Judge Aryeh Schwartz sentenced him on Jan. 6, 2026 to two years of supervised probation, a $5,500 fine with surcharge, and a five-year ban on running for public office.
Smith served as senior director at Turning Point Action, the campaign arm of Turning Point USA, when the fraud occurred. He resigned from Turning Point Action in spring 2024 when allegations surfaced. However, his LinkedIn and X accounts showed he was rehired in Jan. 2025 as strategic director. When news of his Jun. 2025 indictment became public, Smith made his X account private and deleted or hid his LinkedIn profile.
Smith represented Arizona House District 29 in the Phoenix suburbs from 2023 to 2025. He served on the Arizona House Municipal Oversight and Elections Committee. In that role, he spread false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. Smith wrote on his website that what happened on Nov. 3, 2020 in Maricopa County continues to be a national disgrace and embarrassment.
A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Smith in Jun. 2025 on 14 criminal counts. The charges included one felony for fraudulent schemes and practices, three felonies for presentment of false instrument for filing, and 10 misdemeanors for illegal signing of election petitions. Prosecutors said Smith forged the petitions he filed with the Arizona Secretary of State in Mar. 2024. Photos showed pages of signatures that all appeared to have been signed by the same person.
When allegations first surfaced in Apr. 2024, Smith vehemently denied them. He called the charges ludicrous and accused Democrats of creating a coordinated attack against him. Despite his denials, Smith dropped his re-election bid in Apr. 2024. He later accepted a plea deal in Nov. 2025, pleading guilty to attempted fraudulent schemes and practices and illegal signing of election petitions.
At sentencing, Judge Aryeh Schwartz said Smith's offense undermined the integrity of the election process. The judge also noted that Smith accepted responsibility for his actions. Smith's plea agreement required him to admit he attempted to deceive the Secretary of State's Office by knowingly filing petitions containing forged signatures of purported supporters. The conviction makes him ineligible to run for public office until 2031.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, prosecuted the case. Mayes won her 2022 election by just 280 votes over Republican Abe Hamadeh. Republican legislators have repeatedly tried to impeach her and strip funding from her office. Smith was a member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus. Other Freedom Caucus members, including state Sen. Jake Hoffman and state Rep. Anthony Kern, were among 11 Trump electors charged with nine felonies each for the 2020 fake elector scheme.
Smith made jokes on social media accusing Maricopa County officials of mail-in ballot signature fraud before he was caught forging signatures himself. Initial lawsuits in 2024 claimed Smith forged more than 100 signatures on his petitions. The case demonstrates the pattern of election fraud accusations coming from people who committed actual election fraud. Trump and his allies claimed widespread fraud in Arizona's 2020 election but couldn't prove it. Smith's prosecution proved election fraud happened, but it was Republicans forging signatures to get on the ballot.
🗳️Elections🔐Ethics⚖️Justice
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
When did Smith enter his guilty plea in Maricopa County Superior Court?
Q2
How many signatures did Austin Smith forge on his 2024 ballot petitions?
Q3
Judge Schwartz said Smith's offense undermined what aspect of democracy?
Q4
Smith represented which Arizona House district when he committed the fraud?
Q5
What position did Smith hold at Turning Point Action when he forged signatures?
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Start QuizPeople, bills, and sources
Austin Smith
Former Arizona state representative and Turning Point Action leader
Kris Mayes
Arizona Attorney General
Aryeh Schwartz
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge
Jake Hoffman
Arizona state senator and Freedom Caucus leader
Anthony Kern
Arizona state representative and Freedom Caucus member
Charlie Kirk
Turning Point USA founder (deceased)
What you can do
1
civic action
Track election fraud prosecutions in your state
Monitor your state attorney general's office for prosecutions of actual election fraud cases. These cases often involve ballot petition signature fraud, voter registration fraud, or illegal voting. Real election fraud is rare but does happen. It's usually committed by individual candidates or campaign workers, not the mass fraud conspiracy theories claim. Understanding what real fraud looks like helps you spot false claims.
2
understanding
Verify ballot petition signatures through your Secretary of State
If you sign a ballot petition to help a candidate qualify for the ballot, you can verify that your signature was properly submitted. Most Secretary of State websites let you check whether your signature appears on filed petitions. This helps catch forgery. In Arizona, you can protest invalid signatures within 10 business days after petitions are filed. Contact your Secretary of State's elections division to learn your state's process.
3
civic action
Report suspected signature fraud to your state attorney general
If you see evidence of forged signatures on ballot petitions, you can report it to your state attorney general's office. Evidence might include multiple signatures that look like the same handwriting, signatures from people who are deceased, or signatures from people who didn't sign. Take photos and document what you found. AG offices have criminal divisions that investigate election fraud. They can subpoena handwriting samples and petition records.
Hello, I'd like to report suspected signature fraud on ballot petitions. I have evidence that [describe what you found - e.g., multiple signatures that appear to be the same handwriting, signatures from deceased voters, etc.]. I have photos and documentation. What information do you need from me to investigate this? Can you tell me the process for how your office handles these complaints?
4
practicing
Monitor Arizona Freedom Caucus legislative actions and members
The Arizona Freedom Caucus is a far-right group in the state legislature. Members include Austin Smith (convicted of signature fraud), Jake Hoffman (indicted as fake elector), and Anthony Kern (indicted as fake elector). Track what bills they introduce and how they vote. The caucus has pushed election restrictions based on false fraud claims. You can watch floor sessions on the Arizona Legislature's website and read bill text. Contact your state representative to ask how they'll vote on Freedom Caucus bills.