Brenda Snipes, the Broward County Election Supervisor, is credited with making Florida ballot counting a joke, once again.
Republican Governor Rick Scott won the Senate race despite all the problems in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, where Bill Nelson closed the gap significantly after election day. Republican Ron DeSantis held off Andrew Gillum’s post-election day surge as well, though it wasn’t as close.
Snipes submitted her resignation just after the election results were certified, after intense criticism. The resignation is effective January 4, 2019, the day after Scott is due to leave office as Governor. So that would deprive Scott of the ability to name a replacement. It seemed like a strategically place poke in Scott’s eye by Snipes.
Snipes is to receive $130,000 in pensions.
But Scott is not waiting. He just suspended Snipes, as The Sun-Sentinel reports:
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has suspended Broward County elections supervisor Brenda Snipes and is appointing a close ally to replace her.Peter Antonacci, president and CEO of the business development organization Enterprise Florida, will serve for the remainder of Snipes term until a replacement can be chosen by voters in November 2020.Scott cited “missed deadlines” and “lost ballots” as reasons for suspending Snipes, who had already announced she was resigning effective Jan. 4.“After a series of inexcusable actions, it’s clear that there needs to be an immediate change in Broward County and taxpayers should no longer be burdened by paying a salary for a Supervisor of Elections who has already announced resignation,” Scott said in a prepared statement….His appointment means he’ll oversee the 2020 presidential election in Broward County.
Here is Scott’s statement:
“Every eligible voter in Florida deserves their vote to be counted and should have confidence in Florida’s elections process. After a series of inexcusable actions, it’s clear that there needs to be an immediate change in Broward County and taxpayers should no longer be burdened by paying a salary for a Supervisor of Elections who has already announced resignation. I know that Pete will be solely focused on running free and fair elections, will not be running for election and will bring order and integrity back to this office.”
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