Florida Recount: Broward County Recount is a Dumpster Fire, Palm Beach Officials Decry Deadline
We’ll update this thread with the latest news.
The recount in Florida has to finish by Thursday, November 15, but officials in Palm Beach County claimed that the recount cannot possibly end by then.
It doesn’t help that President Donald Trump has demanded officials halt the recount while both sides continue to demean each other, especially in Broward County, whose recount has turned into a massive dumpster fire.
Republican Gov. Rick Scott still leads incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson by 12,562 votes (.15%). Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis leads Democrat Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by 33,684 votes (.41%)
Broward Judge Rules Against Rick Scott
Rick Scott filed a lawsuit “to impound ballots and machines at the Broward Election office.” The judge said no. From CBS Miami:
Judge Tuter allowed the attorneys to meet privately and come up with a plan that everyone could agree on and when court reconvened, all sides agreed to the suggested plan of three additional deputies. One will monitor cameras, one will monitors USB drives that contain votes and the third will be a supervisor who the other two report to. They will not report to the supervisor’s office.
Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s U.S. Senate campaign filed two new lawsuits Sunday, one demanding law enforcement impound and secure voting machines, tallies and ballots in Broward and Palm Beach counties any time they were not actively in use.
“What we are asking the court to do today is too remove any doubt. Take away the concerns of the citizens, take away the concerns of the public that this election process will be protected,” stated attorney for Rick Scott, Jason Zimmerman. “All you have to do, your honor, to take away that doubt, to fix the erosion of this process, is to grant this injunction. Allow Broward County Sheriff’s to monitor the votes when they are not in use. We are not asking the court to have Broward County Sheriff’s Office overseeing or standing over the shoulder of people who are counting the votes. We are not asking the Broward County Sheriff’s Office to interfere with any count whatsoever. We are asking the court, when these ballots in these voting machines, are not in use, to have someone other than Dr. Snipes, other than someone who listens and reports to Dr. Snipes be a part of the inspection process.”
Broward Canvassing Board attorney Eugene Pettis countered by saying security is extremely tight at the facility.
“Nobody is able to move about in these areas without proper documentation, period. They have not presented anything to suggest that someone got into this area and somehow had access to manipulate anything, They’re just saying ‘We’d be more comfortable if we could somehow get an order from this court to at least imply that intervention was necessary because we didn’t trust Dr. Snipes.’ You want to talk about what undermines our electoral process, it’s that type of behavior, that type of suggestion, without any evidence. They’re talking about 2016,” said Pettis.
In addition to adding three deputies, Judge Tuter also asked attorney’s on all sides to ramp down the rhetoric.
“I am urging, due to high public nature of this case, to ramp down the rhetoric.”
Broward County
Unlike Palm Beach County, you can only describe Broward County’s recount as chaos. All the machine glitches, according to The Miami Herald:
The recount, scheduled to begin at 7 a.m., finally got away — sort of — at 11:23. But officials said no actually counting would begin for hours and possibly days.
Instead, the machines were sorting ballots. Broward County ballots ran between four and seven pages, depending on the city, for a total of around 3.5 million pages.
But all seven races being recounted were on the first page. Until sometime Monday evening, the counting machines will do nothing but pluck out those pages, to be counted afterward.
The earlier four-hour-plus delay was triggered by a series of glitches in the testing of the 10 counting machines. The “logic and accuracy” tests were intended to make sure the machines were starting from zero and recording ballots accurately.
But they failed repeatedly as election official grew tight-lipped and attorneys for various parties and candidates launched catcalls.
Democrats and Republicans continue to work harmoniously in Palm Beach County. The supposed adults in Broward County act no better than preschool children:
When officials announced that the Republican and Democratic parties each could send one “technical expert” into the room where the tests were being conducted, Fort Lauderdale attorney Mitchell Berger, a prominent Democrat but with no known background at Apple or Microsoft, loudly announced: “I use a computer. I’m going back.”
As he began to enter the counting room, Berger was greeted with a chorus of “Ooooo, nooo!” from Republican attorneys and election officials alike. What looked like a potential confrontation was defused when Democratic Party officials quickly designated Berger their official “expert.”
“It’s OK,” one disgruntled Republican shouted as Berger walked into the counting room. “You won’t know what you’re seeing, anyway.”
When Berger returned, he said with elaborate flair that, “They’re doing a good job and they’re working hard.”
“You mean the elections board staff?” interjected one of the officials. When Berger confirmed it, Republican attorney William Scherer widened his eyes in mock concern. “You don’t include the canvassing staff?” he asked.
“Them, too,” Berger replied. “They’re doing a good job. And so are you, Bill.”
Palm Beach County
From CNN:
“It’s impossible,” said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher in response to CNN asking if officials would be able to finish the full recount on time.
The prediction came as a rare point of agreement between Democrats and Republicans in the state, who have engaged in a tense fight since Tuesday’s election brought tight margins in statewide races.
Sarah Revell, the communications director for the Florida Department of State, told CNN’s Ana Cabrera that if a county does not submit its results by deadline, “then the results on file at that time take their place,” she said.
Revell added that Florida law does not give the secretary of state the authority to grant extensions.
Palm Beach County GOP Chairman Michael Barnett told CNN that the county’s inability to meet the deadline would be “good news for Republicans because our candidates are ahead.”
“If they’re not able to meet the deadline, the secretary of state of Florida may go ahead and certify the elections for our candidates,” Barnett said. “In that case, you can bet your butt there will be lawsuits filed everywhere.”
Everything appears calm in Palm Beach as Democrats have shed any worry “about the integrity of the process.” Democrats and Republicans have “praised the volunteers and made not of the quiet, friendly atmosphere inside the massive warehouse where the work is being done.”
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Comments
I’m still waiting for Broward election supervisor Snipes to tell us all how many total ballots were signed out in Broward for this election, and how many were voted.
Math will tell us the unused remainder. It ain’t rocket surgery.
Is she in contempt of court, yet?
So Glad President Trump Demanded their End.
“Hey it takes lots of time to take all those fake Democrat votes!”
Maffs is harrrd…
What I find more disgusting than the Democrats stealing another election is the mealy mouthed hand wringing of the Republicans. Listening to Trump, Scott and Biondi on the radio sniveling about Broward and Palm Beach not being nice is vomit inducing as each has the power to send in various agencies of law enforcement to investigate how 90,000 plus votes, the majority for the Democrat can mysteriously be “found” a week after voting ended. Snipes has a certifiable record of violating election laws, state and federal, and yet she remains, undeterred, counting whatever she thinks is a ballot!
Bondi actually has that power? I really want to know, in light of what she’s publicly written to other parties involved.
I cannot believe they are this brazen. Why vote in Broward county? Just let the election department pick your dear leader for you.
Nailed it. The Party will select the person.
Frankly, I’m disturbed that Trump is in Europe and his DOJ appears uninvolved.
Not Trump’s fault — I didn’t foresee this blatant heist — but from now on, I will remember: we ALWAYS need a plan to stop a steal.
Why aren’t the ballots being seized from these thiefs and put in safekeeping where it can be done honestly?
They’ll keep counting until a Democrat wins.
The Dem lawyers will argue that the Thursday deadline will mean “count every vote” can’t happen and Lefty Florida judges will agree with them. Look for an injunction to allow counting to continue beyond the legal deadline. The injunction will be sustained on appeal up to and including the FL Supreme Court. Scott and DeSantis may have to appeal to SCOTUS for relief if legally possible.
That scenario seems familiar somehow…
When the Florida Secretary of State first learned that Broward county failed to meet the initial reporting deadline he should have requested the FDLE send in a team to monitor and investigate. Sense Governor Scott cannot act in any manor that would appear to effect the outcome of the vote the Secretary of State should have been prepaired to act (especially as the election prosses falls directly into his job description).
She did that, but they just blew her off with a one day “investigation”. Pam Bondi asks state police to investigate Rick Scott’s claims of voter fraud
It is the Secretary of State Ken Detzner’s responsibly to certify the vote therefore knowing the history of election engineering he should have had a plan in place for another Bush v. Gore situation. Which is exactly what we have here. Pam Bondi as Attorney General has little constitutional athority unless she has probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. So I can understand the truncated investigation.(although like you I am not happy with it)
Suspicion and cynicism tells me the FL ordeal is a distraction for the real crimes of stealing numerous house seats. All eyes on incompetent Florida again …
So many house elections were neck and neck on election night, with reports leading up to the election of massive early republican turn-out … how is it even possible that the Dems flipped so many seats? Overseas military votes counted yet? Absentee? All the mail-in states? No hesitation for calling elections for the D’s but if an R is in the lead we have to wait until every vote is counted?
Read this morning there’s 7 house seats too close to call in CA with the Republican in the lead … will all 7 of those be subject to the same “found a stash of D ballots” theft while the media focuses on FL?
Abrams found 5,000 ballots from several counties – if I remember the numbers right, about 85% of those were for Abrams … how that be when the state avg is 51/48 or so? It’s past time that “statistical quality control” ought be applied to all those late ballots – the skew towards Democrats defies trends. The one exception to an SQC approach for late-received ballots would be the military I suspect …
Hoping the Senate has the cajones to refuse to seat the D from FL if they prevail via this fraud … time to take Fed elections out of the hands of states as well … implement secure systems and voter ID.
“time to take Fed elections out of the hands of states as well … implement secure systems and voter ID.”
Clarification – what I do not understand about the election of a President, US Senator and US Representative, is WHY the Fed doesn’t dictate to the states the ballot, the voting process, the machines, the chain of custody, the voting period – standardized for all 50 states and designed to prevent fraud …
Let state level elections be done via separate ballot however the state wants – but for President and congress, the Fed should set the standard.
The executive branch of the federal government would be dictating to the states and to the House and Senate and overstepping its authority in all kinds of ways.
What really, really irks me is how people are running roughshod over state law – if you believe Pam Bondi at face value at least – and no one can be bothered to lift a finger.
Article 1 Section 4 – Elections, Meetings
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of Chusing Senators.
Proposal:
1. Election Day for all federal offices shall be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
2. Election Day shall be Election Day, and all voting will be in person except for absentee ballots for military personnel, other government personnel stationed out of country, and other limited categories determined by the states. Voting absentee should be the exception, not the rule.
3. All states and the District of Columbia SHALL issue a free state approved photo identification card to all qualified voters who register to vote. Only citizens ages 18 and over by election day shall be qualified voters.
4. All voters must be registered no less than 30 days prior to an election, with no exceptions.
5. All polling places shall be open from 6 AM to 9 PM in their respective time zones. No vote totals shall be released until the final state polls close.
6. Any and all voting machines approved by a state must have a verifiable paper trail.
7. To expedite polling, states may design scannable ballots that a voter can print at home and bring to the polling place for scanning instead of filling it out at the polling station. If the scanner rejects the ballot, the voter can then use it as a guide to fill in the supplied ballots at the polling station.
8 All ballots in all States and the District of Columbia shall be in English, and English only. English is the common language of the United States, and all citizens have a duty to know how to vote in the common language.
9. All employers shall ensure all their employees have 6 hours straight off when polls are open.
10. This law is wholly within the powers of the legislature and shall not be reviewable by the judicial branch.
11. States and the District of Columbia may use the Federal Voter ID for their own elections.
Still have a few weeks left where a Republican house and senate could pass this and sent it to Trump for a signature. The way Article 1 Section 4 is written, I’m not even sure it requires presidential signature, as it’s a power of the legislature.
I remember a couple decades ago one or more states tried to impose term limits on its Congress critters. That was shot down in court – the rule-making authority with respect concerning Congress critters rests entirely with the federal government.
Lots of flaws in this, but here are some major ones:
What about Puerto Ricans? They are US citizens, just like you and me, and if they move to the mainland they have the right to vote, but they have no reason or duty to learn English.
I doubt Congress has the power to mandate this
Congress definitely does not have the power to do this.
This is definitely wrong. Anything that must be passed by both houses, except adjournment resolutions, must be presented to the president. Only resolutions that are internal to one house don’t go to the president. (Yes, the constitution requires constitutional amendments to be presented too; but this has been ignored forever, with the courts’ approval.)
You misremember. That power does not rest with anybody. Nobody can impose term limits, or any other qualifications on congressmen, beyond those listed in the constitution.
1. What about Puerto Ricans?
Puerto Rico is not a state. Ballots there are not affected. If Spanish speakers move to the mainland, they will incur a duty to communicate in the common vernacular if they wish to vote intelligently. Period. Which is English.
2. Congress certainly does have the power to regulate working hours and conditions. Many states already require employers to give employees a long enough break to vote. 6 hours during a 15 hour voting period is not an onerous condition. Likely 99%+ of all employee shifts already cover this. The rare exception would be a 12 hour noon-midnight shift.
3.Congress certainly does have the power to pass laws and rules and declare them beyond the reach of courts. California Law Review Volume 23 | Issue 6 is one such article discussing it. (It’s a pdf and I couldn’t get the link to copy…) That they’ve never done so is political cowardice. The courts only have jurisdiction where congress says they have jurisdiction.
4. Article 1 Section 7 states: Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of
Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him,… Article V governing amendments doesn’t mention the President’s signature is required, just legislative action, then submission to the states. Same with Article 1 Section 2. the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of Chusing Senators. Nothing about Presidential approval. Those are the only two items I can see that are discussed separately from other laws and items, and both fail to mention the President’s approval is needed. Courts haven’t been overlooking the need of a president’s signature on amendments because the signature isn’t needed.
1. Puerto Ricans are Americans, and if they move to the mainland they have the same right to vote as anyone. Congress does not have the power to impose on them a duty to learn English in order to exercise that right.
2. Under which enumerated power does Congress have the right to regulate working hours?
3. No, Congress does not have the power to declare any rule or law beyond the reach of courts. That is inherent in the judicial function, and the legislative branch has no power over it. It can limit the lower courts, but not the Supreme Court; alternatively it can limit the Supreme Court’s appellate jurisdiction, but only if it has left that jurisdiction to the lower courts. It can’t do both.
4. You cited the language; did you not read it? Both proposed amendments and regulation of elections are Orders, Resolutions, or Votes to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of
Representatives is necessary. Therefore they must be presented. In the case of proposed amendments the courts have deliberately ignored this requirement. They have not done so in any other case, including the regulation of elections.
Are you by chance an employer? Business owner?
Christine Gregoire was the first test. And it was successful.
I’m a WA native, but during her tenure lived and worked in IL. Dad kept me up to speed on the goings on and I couldn’t wrap my head around it – esp. with the precedent set by Bush v. Gore in 2000. How does Rossi come out on top of 2 of 3 counts and then lose? Gotta tell you – coming back to WA after retiring from the Lazy B – I hardly recognize the place. Mixed bag this last election – at least we defeated the carbon tax and grocery tax. The new gun laws have me steamed. And the cop law … now that Dad is gone and we’re free to move, looking at heading south and east somewhere warm and red.
Perhaps the Governor should request Federal Monitoring of elections in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.
Uh… make that Broward and Palm Beach Counties. (Well they all look alike.)
Recount Method
Just keep counting all the votes until the Democrat is ahead. Then stop counting.
The reason why the FDLE does not want to get into an investigation of SOE, without some solid evidence of criminal activity, is because this could hurt the image of impartiality which the agency tries to maintain. LEAs, generally, try to avoid becoming involved in political problems, unless they have to. This is especially true when their activities could affect the outcome of the election. And, state law allows for non-law enforcement remedies to protect the veracity of the voting procedures. The Secretary of State is the constitutional officer charged with policing elections in the state.
So far, there is no empirical evidence that any criminal activity has occurred with regard to the balloting; other than the few instances of non-citizens voting. There have been sufficient unusual “problems” in both Broward and Palm Beach counties to raise a reasonable concern that the ballot counting is not being done properly and perhaps even fraudulently. An investigation needs to be done on these two counties in Florida, but it should be initiated by the candidates and their respective political parties, via the courts. IF empirical evidence is found that vote fraud did occur, then LE can get involved.
At this point, no matter who wins these elections, half the population is not going to be satisfied with the outcome.
I am beginning to believe that the true goal of this whole farce is not to get Democrats elected, it is to destroy our faith in elections.
Think about it, how many institutions and processes that defined our American system have been systematically destroyed over the past few decades.
The Churches have been infiltrated by liberals who do not believe in the Bible and truth and they have watered down the principals that the scriptures contain claiming that they are no longer ‘relevant’ to today.
We see past leaders’ reputations destroyed, monuments to Americans vandalized and history rewritten to advance the SJW narratives.
We have seen the family unit destroyed with illegitimacy rates skyrocketing.
The Justice System where all laws applied to all is now in disarray with true criminals, (and I’m talking about you, Hillary), are free and crimes such as the murder of Seth Rich are buried.
We are falling into anarchy and I believe that is the deep state’s goal, because when it happens they will be calling upon the United Nations to come in and ‘save’ us. At that point, the America we know and love will be gone.
Republican lawyers should challenge every ballot possible during the recall to delay the Nov 15 deadline.
Take a page out of the democrat’s Election Interference playbook for once.
Recount, not recall. Doh.
For some reason, I don’t see how putting the Broward County Sheriffs Office in charge of guarding the machines and votes would be solving anything.
That Department seems to be just as partisan-ly political as the Election Board
Here’s a fun statistic…
“But a recount that reverses an initial margin of more than a few hundred votes would be unprecedented in the recent history of American elections. According to an analysis by the nonpartisan group FairVote, which advocates for electoral reforms that make it easier to vote, out of 4,687 statewide elections between 2000 and 2016, just 26 went to a recount. Of those 26, just three recounts wound up changing the initial result of the race: The 2004 Washington governor’s race, the 2006 Vermont state auditor’s race and the 2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate race. The average swing in those three elections after the recounts? About 311 votes.”
https://hotair.com/archives/2018/11/12/timely-reminder-recounts-3-23-past-two-decades/
Oh, those were just proof-of-concept. Now we’re in full-scale production (of bogus votes).
I’m not sure what the point of monitoring cameras and USB drives is. Sure, it’s important, but the real damage has already been done: the introduction of over 100,000 fraudulent ballots, improperly mixed with the regular ballots. We have no way of identifying where these ballots came from or of separating them for the additional scrutiny they deserve. Counting them in a securely monitored fashion is an insult to the notion of fair elections.
Somehow (blame the high school civics teachers—or those that laid them off and didn’t replace them in the first place) the mass delusion has been foisted on the American public that it is more important that each and every vote be counted than that the integrity of an election be maintained.
Thus, people will accept a boxful of votes ‘found’ in the trunk of a car rental at Lauderdale airport because—hey!—A FEW of the votes in there MIGHT have been validly cast, so we have to accept the hundreds, each and every one of which has been compromised by being out of the custody of authorized election officials. It is idiocy, and people tolerate it, because they have been told that this is the way it should be.