Boca Raton Man Charged With Voting After Felony Conviction

Jared J. Janacek (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

A Boca Raton man is facing two felony charges after allegedly casting a vote in the 2024 general election despite his voting rights having been suspended after a felony drug conviction.

The state Department of Law Enforcement filed the charges – filing a false affirmation and voting as an unqualified elector – this week against Jared J. Janacek, 32, of Boca Raton following an investigation. According to a court filing by the DLE, Janacek had been previous convicted of possession of a controlled substance, a third degree felony, in Lee County in 2023 and was sentenced to 24 months of drug offender probation, followed by 24 months of regular probation. He remains on probation for the offense and has not had his civil rights fully restored, making him ineligible to vote, investigators charged.

When registering to vote, Florida residents must check a box indicating: “I affirm that I am not a convicted felon, or If I am, my right to vote has been restored.” Janacek allegedly checked the box when he registered to vote in October 2024, then cast a ballot in-person on Election Day. A public search of voting records conducted by Boca Daily News did not turn up the voter registration, and it was unknown if Janacek had registered with any political party.

According to the court filing, a DLE investigator interviewed Janacek at a Boca Raton business on Dec. 5, 2025, during which he allegedly admitted to voting in the election and told the investigator that he read a news article that he believed stated that those with felony convictions were allowed to vote after 2018. The investigator said he then provided Janacek with a copy of a probation order that stated he was ineligible to vote while on the program.

Janacek was arrested Jan. 10 and freed on $5,000 bond each for the two charges several hours later.