The news from Palm Beach Co Florida is not getting any better. The official recount is complete as required by the state. By state law they have exactly one week to count ballots, rectify any problems, do any required recounts, and certify that everything is correct. Of course that is all without any court orders and it looks more and more like this election will be going to the courts.
The original election evening count seems to have been 102,523 and the final recount total was 99,045. The only race that was recounted was a race for a judicial seat and the winner flipped from one candidate to another from the original to the final recount. The original difference was 17 votes and the final was 60 votes.
The big question is what happened to over 3,400 ballots. The losing candidate will be going to court to ask that question among others. And now any candidate in any other race who lost by less than 3,400 votes is also being encouraged to go to court and demand a recount or re-election.
There is a lot wrong with this situation. The state is wrong in forcing a quick handling of the ballots. No wonder mistakes are made and more seem to be made in Florida than most other states. A complete investigation must be held inside the county to figure out what happened and why it happened. Was it administration issues or the voting system? And why did members of the county canvassing board sign an official document that had no final numbers on it? The voters need to know that and they need to know before November….
- Featured – FL: Palm Beach County – Election officials stumped by about 3,400 missing ballots
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/02/recount0903.html - National: [Sequoia Is Getting Out of the Voter Registration DataBase Business As Of Next Year] County elections board set to change registration systems
Move wouldn’t occur until after November election
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080902/UPDATES01/80902036 - National: Touch-Screen Voting: It’s Been Tried, but Can It Be Trusted?
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/must-read/64341.html?wlc=1220368168 - CA: C.A. Tosses Secretary of State’s Manual Ballot Count Procedures
http://www.metnews.com/articles/2008/bowe090208.htm - CT: Bysiewicz’s ¡Tu Voto Si Cuenta! campaign to register 10,000 latino voters passes the halfway mark
http://www.stamfordplus.com/stm/information/nws1/publish/News_1/Bysiewicz_s_Tu_Voto_Si_Cuenta_campaign_to_register_10_000_latino_voters_passes_the_halfway_mark3240.shtml - FL: 16,632 Votes ‘Unaccounted For’ in Florida Recount
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0809/S00023.htm - FL: Palm Beach County – Another election like 2000?
http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fa335e1e-e17d-46bf-9383-35efa39477f1 - FL: Palm Beach County – Officials struggle to clear up confusion about local election
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-0902localelection,0,4692515.story - FL: Palm Beach County – Election officials stumped by about 3,400 missing ballots
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/02/recount0903.html - GA: Muscogee County – Election rolls out variety of vote times
Advance voting, absentee balloting pushed by RAVE
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/427013.html - HI: Hawaii Election Integrity Lawsuit Update
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?8c7ee46f-80cf-4782-a66f-50aea61195fc - IN: Porter County – With huge turnout predicted, election officials working to resolve glitches
http://www.chestertontribune.com/Politics%20and%20Elections/92148%20with_huge_turnout_predicted_elec.htm - MI: Michigan voters beware: Secretary of state’s voter ID ruling inspires mistrust
http://www.michiganmessenger.com/3542/michigan-voters-beware-secretary-of-states-voter-id-ruling-inspires-mistrust - MO: Hubbard files suit seeking recount
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/C466BF3A8E4DD9CF862574B200033B3B?OpenDocument - MO: Donnelly to request recount of race
State representative lost to Koster by fewer than 800 votes in attorney general primary.
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080816/NEWS06/808160342 - MO: Donnelly’s AG recount lawsuit dismissed
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/09/02/donelly-gets-2-800-ag-primary-ballots-recount-lawsuit-dismissed/ - NC: N.C. expands ballot-scanning program statewide
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/47064-1.html - NY: Some New York officials worry about voting access
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jxTZTtgkBijDiF5ApBFqJ4-9hPagD92UF9380 - OH: Huron County – Election changes hurt county budgets
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/09/01/front/doc48bcb60b5804f122592760.txt - TN: Opinion – Few things more important than registering to vote, then going to polls
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080902/OPINION03/809020370/1008/OPINION01 - VA: Albemarle County – New voters stretch city resources
State law limits voting machine options
http://c-ville.com/index.php?cat=141404064431134&ShowArticle_ID=11802908081539566
**”Daily Voting News” is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in “Daily Voting News” may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**
“And why did members of the county canvassing board sign an official document that had no final numbers on it? The voters need to know that and they need to know before November….”
John,
What is your source for this information? If true this is the biggest problem with this election. If individuals are signing blank canvass sheets it is hard to imagine there is not fraud involved. Or perhaps others are forging their signatures. Either way, it stinks.
George
The article that reported the signing of what may have been blank documents is here
And from the article it seems that this was all done to expedite the issue. However, this news is well over a day old and a lot has changed. There are many more eyes on this now than there were then.
Thanks John.
How could an election official with any integrity or half a brain sign a blank canvass sheet? Only in Florida I guess.