More Florida Voting Problems

With what has become an ongoing problem since the 2000 elections, we now have yet another situation concerning the Florida voting process. This time the candidates are Republican Vern Buchanan and Democrat Christian Jennings. As of now there are more than 18,000 uncounted votes which could drastically change the outcome of the election. The original results showed a Vern Buchanan victory however, his margin of victory was only 400 electoral points, far less than the uncounted votes. And as was the case in 2000, there are also many questions surrounding the accuracy of the electronic voting machines used in most of the Florida counties including Sarasota county. The machines at the center of this controversy are made made by Diebold, the number one contributor to the Bush campaign in 2000. But, unlike seven years ago, watchdog groups like Voter Action now know what to watch for and this maybe the good news in the whole ordeal.

The Tampa Bay watchdog group "Voter Action" was all over the case even before Jennings office demanded a recount. They even went so far as to denounce the voting machines as faulty and open to fraud, a claim that is not unfounded by the way. So when the machine recount showed roughly the same results as the first count, the group joined Jennings office in going to the courts to demand a manual recount. The court has granted both parties the requested recount which is a policy shift from the Bush-Gore campaigns where, thanks to Katharine Harris and John Bolten, that recount was halted.  It could be days and even weeks before the final results are reached but, at least some semblance of a fair election will be reached.

Some in the Sarasota, including those in Christian Jennings office have even suggested a re-vote which was been firmly rejected by Vern Buchanan's office. His representatives have stated that they are against a re-vote along with a second recount. One office person stated that the first recount should have been good enough for the county of Sarasota to move on and give Buchanan his 400 point victory. But, there is still so much doubt surrounding the first results that any shift one way or the other will undoubtedly bring a slew of court proceedings. In such a climate, a paper ballot recount at this stage of the game would seem to make a great deal of sense. This is something that the courts may ponder but, it seems unlikely to happen for one reason. The Republican is in the lead and Jeb Bush is still Governor of the state. He is also known for scrub lists and derailing legal cases that go against his parties best interest. 

Whatever the final result, we now at least should be thankful the courts are doing their jobs in assuring a more fair outcome. This is not to say there won't be any funny business but it should be lessened.

Until next time. 

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