TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida judge is rejecting a challenge to the rules that will be used in a hand recount in the state’s contentious U.S. Senate race.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker late Thursday ruled against Sen. Bill Nelson and Democrats in another one of the lawsuits surrounding the recount.
During the hand recount, election officials look at just the ballots that weren’t recorded by voting machines.
Under state law, voters must use only approved markings or their ballot is disqualified. And they can’t simply cross out a mistaken vote but must explain in writing why they did so. The lawsuit contends that has a discriminatory effect on non-native English speakers and illiterate voters.
But Walker found the rules were reasonable and constitutional.
Florida counties must finish the hand recount by Sunday.
Florida’s bitter U.S. Senate contest is headed to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes.
But the contest for Florida governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over Thursday, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum said in a statement, however, that “it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted.”
The recount has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline.
Great so apparently we’re stuck with Racist Ron and we haven’t managed (yet) to retire Prick Snot from politics. It’s bad enough that the races are so tight down here and we keep electing these Republicans. But could the republicans please run someone who is not a crook (like Scott), A racist (like DeSantis), or a nut job ( Gaetz)? Oh, wait, if they weren’t a racist, crook, or nut job, they wouldn’t be republican. Damn!
This is unfortunate. It doesn’t look like the recount will change the outcome. However, it is important that every vote be counted.
i completely agree.
We tried and lost, but remember the long game. 1.5 million new voters. Most of these are people of color. That is not a small thing. The Republicans have not behaved well in Florida and georgia (or Utah or other places, only Arizona have they had some decorum) The world has noted their behavior and some few will be persuaded by it. 2 more years of this governance combined with what will be uncovered with our new subpoena power and we will see a major new shift. Now we need a clear leader to match the times that the coming power be not wasted. We need a new Obama. Hope and Change for 2020. Restore America. Redeem the Country. A New America for a New Age.
“No borders! No walls! No USA at all!” is that the new America you are excited about?