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Scott Fights Elections Supervisors As Recount Looms
November 9, 2018
Gov. Rick Scott lashed out Thursday night at elections supervisors in Broward and Palm Beach counties as “incompetent” and part of an effort to “thwart the will of the people,” as the margin of his apparent U.S. Senate victory has narrowed and likely will require a recount.
Scott’s comments came as his campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee filed a lawsuit against Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes. The lawsuit, which seeks an immediate hearing, contends her office continues to withhold crucial voter information and has blocked access to the office.
The campaign also filed a separate lawsuit against Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, accusing her of refusing to allow Scott’s representatives to personally witness the ballot counting. The suit, filed in Palm Beach County, also accuses Bucher of keeping the county canvassing board from performing its duties.
Scott, expressing concern about “rampant fraud” in the two counties, also directed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the election offices. Broward and Palm Beach counties are Democratic strongholds, and Snipes and Bucher are Democrats.
“I am considering every single legal option available,” Scott said while appearing before the media outside the governor’s mansion in an event held by his campaign. “No rag-tag group of liberal activists or lawyers from D.C. will be allowed to steal this election from the voters of this great state.”
Scott didn’t take questions from the media after accusing “unethical liberals of trying to steal this election from the people of Florida.”
Dan McLaughlin, a spokesman for Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, said Scott’s actions are apparently “politically motivated and borne out of desperation.”
“The goal here is to see that all the votes in Florida are counted and counted accurately,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
In the lawsuit, the Scott campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee contend the Broward elections office has been unwilling to disclose records revealing how many people have voted, how many ballots have been canvassed and how many remain to be canvassed.
“The lack of transparency raises substantial concerns about the validity of the election process,” said the lawsuit filed in Broward County.
In his comments to the media, Scott accused Snipes of a history of “bad faith” and Bucher, a former state House member, of refusing to provide “information to the public” and requiring official party representatives to stand behind a glass wall in the ballot counting area.
Earlier in the day, Nelson’s recount lawyer predicted that the Democratic incumbent would emerge the victor over Scott as ballots continued to be examined, particularly in Palm Beach and Broward counties. A recount is expected to come into play this weekend.
Nelson attorney Marc Elias, who has been involved in a number of recounts across the country, pointed to an ongoing count of provisional ballots and ballots that may not have been properly scanned.
The tabulation of those votes will continue to narrow Scott’s razor-thin lead over Nelson, Elias predicted. Scott’s election night 56,000-vote margin over Nelson shrank to just over 15,000 votes — within the margin that triggers an automatic recount — by Thursday night.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Comments
24 Responses to “Scott Fights Elections Supervisors As Recount Looms”
I am proud that citizens have stated here in essence count the votes. From what I gather the Counties had until today at noon to count their votes. No fraud has been observed just counting votes. Let the best man win.
Time for Scott to grow up!!
Where’s the proof?? Should you not wait for it?? Count all legal votes and live with it.
@ Sam….not only is South Florida inundated by Demoncrats, they are part-time residents from the Eastern seaboard. They vote “up there” and down here. Mail in voting is a wonderful thing if you know how to manipulate it. This was acknowledged several years ago, but accepted as too difficult to counter with current technology.
You might know south Florida is the problem. Lots of democrats. All of a sudden they find lost votes. Gimme a break,
Post office should be able to give an accurate count of delivered ballets and their origins….
We have been told for years, by the left, that voter fraud is a conspiracy.
This is a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy.
The Democratic Party is working towards Communism. Most in the Republican Party are for Capitalism. The left does not represent the values outlined in The Constitution. American Government should, indeed, be taught in our schools. But, I believe they have been infiltrated by Marxists also. They have infiltrated all areas of our society. Most I have heard speaking of our government call it a Democracy. It is NOT. This is a Constitutional Federal Republic. I do not know how people in this country keep breaking laws left and right and perverting the words of our Constitution. Why do so many in this country now want to promote things that The Bible speaks against? I perceive that they do not want God or anyone else telling them what to do. They have become Godless and Lawless……………That is making the United States of America divided and ready to be destroyed if more do not wake up, quit believing network news and turn to God, Who is The Only One who can truly fix this mess. Tired of evil ruling and oppressing and lying and stealing and killing. This is not the Party that many of our ancestors supported.
Someone most definitely knows about fraud…
Aw…Just don’t incriminate yourself Scott, you are good at this game Retire and go play golf.
Jason is right, it’s voter fraud in Broward County, cooked up by Democrats. It’s amazing how 100% of the voting was in and now they’re finding more ballots. Just look at the Georgia Governors Race, it’s over but they’re magically finding more and more votes for the Democrat that’s a sore loser.
Palm Beach and Broward counties have a history of trying to pull elections in favor of Democrats. Remember the 2000 vote? Remember hanging chads and crowds of protesters who got confused by the butterfly ballot yelling “Re-Vote! Re-Vote!”? Canvasing Board members twisting ballots to make Al Gore’s chad fall out. But the laws have changed since then.
I think all Florida counties are required to use the same equipment. Is that correct?
Eastern Time Zone counties closed an hour before Central Time Zone. All ballots are counted over here, but they have not finished in Palm Beach and Broward? Suddenly they find thousands of un-counted ballots. Yeah, right. Large population county Miami-Dade is not being sued. Only Palm Beach and Broward.
Bill Nelson needs to go away forever! He is just another liberal weenie that needs to go into retirement and sit in his front porch swing with a glass of sweet tea…and stay there!!!
democrats can find ballots when they need them. they just appear out of thin air. AMAZING. Broward county sent their election officials to Russia and some third world countries to learn how to run an election.
Hey , I just found another box of ballots that need to be changed !
Nelson has done nothing in the senate except draw his pay check. He should have been gone decades ago.
HUM!! sounds like a poor loser to me.
I guess “not accepting the results of an election being a danger to democracy” only counts if your a republican. I’m FED UP with all the mental illness on display in DC
We are a Constitutional Republic not a democracy, it’s a shame this is no longer taught in school
As the old sayin goes: “it’s not who did the VOTING that
counts”……”Its who did the COUNTING that counts”.
Bill Nelson is a sore loser. Hey Bill go away Florida doesn’t want you or need you, and take that Andrew Gillum with you , Florida doesn’t need him either.
Our entire Democracy is being challenged on a daily basis! Broward County is currently not allowing Republican Party Officials into the ballot room for recounting, and 15,000 additional ballots have suddenly been produced since Tuesday. Palm Beach County is doing the same thing. Rick Scott and NRSC are having to file suit against Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes over withholding records concerning the ballots.
” Palm Beach County Is Illegally Preventing Party Officials Inside Ballot Counting Room — Have Produced 15,000 Additional Ballots Since Tuesday https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/11/gov-rick-scott-palm-beach-county-is-illegally-preventing-party-officials-inside-ballot-counting-room-have-produced-15000-additional-ballots-since-tuesday/ … via @gatewaypundit”
Mudslinging lollipop stealers – The governor running for senate directing FDLE to investigate – conflict of interests?
In Broward County there were at least 77,800 ballots that were added to the vote total after the county showed that 100% of the votes had been counted. How do you miss 77,800 ballots in your counting process?
Sour grapes.
Let the process & protocols dictate the outcome & quit whining about “rampant fraud”.