Duval County overcomes more machine glitches, recount nearly done

Election officials say 381,754 ballots will be recounted by Wednesday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County elections officials ended a third day of recounting ballots Tuesday saying they would return in the morning to finish up. But their work -- and the close scrutiny of it -- was likely to end there.

Florida's 67 counties were supposed to report machine recounts of the 8.2 million ballots cast in Florida's general election by 3 p.m. Thursday -- although that came into doubt Tuesday when a judge ruled Palm Beach County could take an extra five days. At stake are a U.S. Senate seat, the governor of Florida and the secretary of agriculture post.

If the margin of victory in any of those races remains under one-quarter of 1 percent -- which the Senate and cabinet race likely will -- the Florida secretary of state will order a hand recount. 

Like the previous two days, observers were closely Tuesday to make sure the ballot scanning machines were working properly and all votes counted. There was a problem with one of Duval County's three machines early in the day, but it was quickly fixed and the count continued.

If a ballot becomes crinkled when going through the machine, it is pulled out and sent through again. If the machine reads an overvote -- two boxes marked in the same race -- or undervote -- no choice made in a race -- those will be reviewed individually by the election canvassing board if the state orders a manual recount.

"We will wait to see what happens, but we know it’s going to happen," Duval County Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan said. "There is going to be a manual count (in) at least on two races, maybe three. It depends on what the numbers do between now and Thursday."

Observers from both parties, as well as the people just interested in the process are watching the recount. Democratic representatives raised a challenge Tuesday about the possibility that some military members returning from deployment were mistakenly turned away from the polls despite there being an extended deadline for them to register to vote.

Some of them may have been given a provisional ballot, but they were told incorrectly that they may not have been eligible to vote in this election.

"We asked for names of those affected but (were) not given any," Lara Nezami, Democratic protection attorney said.

Hogan said they are looking at that, but he does not think it will be an issue.


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Jim Piggott is the reporter to count on when it comes to city government and how it will affect the community.