Lawmakers Expected To Dig Into Election Problems
November 17, 2018
Florida lawmakers will be asked to tackle how elections are run, after the chaos of this year’s elections led to a federal judge calling the state’s process “the laughingstock of the world.”
Incoming Senate President Bill Galvano, who will take the reins of the chamber on Tuesday, told reporters Friday that he expects lawmakers to review various aspects of the elections process, from the handling of vote-by-mail ballots to certification dates.
Galvano, R-Bradenton, said he’s heard from a number of senators about the issue and that he wants to revisit aspects of state elections laws. He pointed to problems beyond the current election cycle, which has included troubled recounts in races for U.S. Senate, governor and agriculture commissioner and three legislative seats.
The goal, he said, is to keep future elections from “judicial intervention.”
“There is an interest among the members that I’ve talked to — after this cycle — to revisit it, and figure out why ballots appear, why they are hard to track, why we have machine recounts that produce a substantially lesser number of votes than originally reported,” Galvano said during a gathering with reporters in his office in advance of a legislative organization session Tuesday. “Those are all issues that are important.”
A spokesman for the House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Incoming Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson said in a telephone interview Friday that, in addition to looking for ways to improve the vote-by-mail process, any legislative approach to elections should consider uniformity among ballot designs.
The Jacksonville Democrat also said Florida should create a contingent of county elections supervisors to review how other states conduct different aspect of the voting process, with an emphasis on states like Oregon where elections have been conducted exclusively by mail.
“If we’re determining the process, it’s up to us to make this as smooth a process as possible for the voters. That’s who it’s about,” Gibson said. “I believe we can get to that place. I don’t think any member of the Legislature wants our state to look in disarray.”
The comments from Galvano and Gibson came a day after U.S. District Judge Mark Walker expressed exasperation as lawsuits piled up over the Nov. 6 election. He ripped the elections process as he dealt with a case involving Palm Beach County, which was unable to finish a machine recount because of antiquated equipment.
“We have been the laughingstock of the world in election after election and we chose not to fix this,” Walker said. “I get all that. … We’re still going to go to a default where we don’t count every vote.”
Asked about comments — including by Gov. Rick Scott and President Donald Trump — regarding elections being stolen and incompetence by county elections supervisors, Galvano said there may not have been much confidence in Florida elections even going into the cycle. The state drew worldwide attention for the 2000 presidential recount.
“We have sort of been painted with that brush since 2000,” Galvano said. “I think they definitely highlight that we have concerns, and you see repeated problems in the South Florida counties. I think by the next election cycle, the voters are going to want to have more in terms of assurance that their votes are going to be properly counted.”
Without pointing to Broward and Palm Beach counties, Galvano discussed a need to look at how vote-by-mail ballots are handled, from signatures to the chain of command within county supervisors offices.
Another area that Galvano wants reviewed is how recounts are conducted, noting that in Hillsborough County the overall ballot count went down significantly in the machine recount.
The county is a concern for Galvano because Democrat Janet Cruz, the House minority leader, held a narrow lead in her bid to unseat Sen. Dana Young, R-Tampa, in Senate District 18.
The race went to a manual recount on Thursday after county Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer decided not to submit machine recount numbers due the reduced ballot count. Instead, he refiled earlier unofficial numbers.
“It does raise concern when you see a change in numbers in terms of votes cast,” Galvano said.
According to the county election office, during the recount there were a pair of power outages, along with the impacts of an emergency court hearing, resulting in 846 fewer votes in the machine recount.
Democrats said Friday that Cruz has won the race. But the deadline for counties to complete their manual recounts is noon Sunday. Mark Ard, a spokesman for the state Division of Elections, said election results will be simultaneously posted.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Friday Night Playoff Final Scores
November 17, 2018
Here are Friday night playoff finals from around the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
Class 1A – Region 1
Baker 38, Northview 14
Vernon 40, Jay 0
Class 6A – Region 1
- Navarre 50, Escambia 22
- Crestview 49, Pine Forest 19
Class 3A – Region 1
- Florida High 27, Pensacola Catholic 23
ALABAMA
- Autauga Academy 49, Escambia Academy 0 (Autauga wins state title)
- Flomaton 32, Winfield 7 (Flomaton will host Pike next Friday night)
Image courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com
Sunny Skies, Nice Temps For The Weekend
November 17, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Calm wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Calm wind.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
Thanksgiving Day: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
Allie Peters
November 17, 2018
Allie Peters was present with the Lord on November 11, 2018, at the age of 98.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Sudie Hodge and Bill Tompkins; her sister, Callie Hollis; and her beloved husband of 58 years, Lewis B. Peters.
Allie is survived by one daughter, Janice Hodson; granddaughter, Dawn Schwartz; great-granddaughter, Amanda Schwartz; niece, Susan Fleming; nephews, Bobby Fleming and Taylor Trawick Fleming.
Allie was born in Brooklyn, Alabama on February 26, 1920, and was a longtime resident of Gonzalez, Florida. She was a member of Plainview Baptist church. She loved the Lord, her family, and her dear friends Hugh and Mary Cleveland.
Allie was a seamstress, she loved to cook for her family and her church. She loved simply being at her home and walking in the warm sunlight.
Funeral services were held at Faith Chapel North Friday, November 16, 2018.
Praying For #10: Northview Football Player Suffers Heart Attack
November 16, 2018
As the Northview Chiefs head into the second round of the state playoffs tonight, they have winning on their minds. But they are also thinking about teammate Dariontae Richardson who suffered a heart attack hours after the Chiefs’ win last Friday night.
Richardson made several key plays for the Chiefs in their win against Graceville. He was not injured in the game.
But by Saturday morning, the 16-year old was found at home not breathing. His mother performed CPR until an ambulance arrived. He was transported to Atmore Community Hospital and airlifted to a Mobile hospital where he is continuing to recover.
“Thank you all for your prayers. Dariontae is still making improvements. Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers. #chiefstrong #prayforten #gochiefs,” the Northview Quarterback Club posted on their Facebook page.
“He has a long road ahead of him,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said during a School Advisory Council meeting. She said he is expected to remain in the hospital for several more days. “He is a really good guy, and we are all thinking about him.”
The Chiefs will honor Richardson Friday night as they take on the Gators in Baker.
Pictured: Dariontae Richardson (#10) during the Northview Chiefs first round playoff win over Graceville last Friday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Perfect Fall Weather Days Ahead
November 16, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 35. Calm wind.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Calm wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 67.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.
Let The Miracle League Fry Your Thanksgiving Turkey
November 16, 2018
Volunteers from the Miracle League of Pensacola will fry your turkey for you next Wednesday, saving you the time and trouble while benefiting the charity. And there is still time to make an appointment.
Completely thaw your turkey, removing all of the inside packaging and giblets. Write down exactly how much your turkey weighs so it is fried perfectly and take it to the Miracle League Park at 555 East Nine Mile Road from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday. For a monetary donation to Miracle League, the volunteers will fry your turkey to perfection. A minimum of $20 per turkey is necessary to help cover costs, and any additional donation will benefit the Miracle League of Pensacola.
Call (850) 384-6836 with questions or to schedule your time (leave a message if no answer). Reservations should be made early as the number of time slots is limited.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Triple Shooting Suspect Waives Extradition
November 16, 2018
The suspect in a triple shooting in Atmore will soon be headed back to Alabama to face charges.
Anji Lynn Baker, age 34 of Bay Minette, waived extradition during a video appearance before Judge Joyce William in Escambia County (FL) court. That means he is not fighting his transfer between states in court. Alabama authorities now have 30 days to pick up Baker and transport him back to their state to face three counts of attempted murder and a charge of shooting into an occupied building.
U.S. Marshals arrested Baker without incident in Pensacola about midday Tuesday. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond where he was being held as a fugitive from justice.
The triple shooting happened during an event inside business early Sunday morning. Two victims were airlifted to a Mobile hospital where one was listed in critical condition and the other in serious condition. A third gunshot victim was transported by ambulance where he was treated and released. All three victims were adult males.
An Atmore police officer suffered minor injuries when he was struck with a barstool.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Senate, Ag Commissioner Races Go To Manual Recounts
November 16, 2018
Floridians will have to wait a little longer to get official word about who will be the state’s next agriculture commissioner and who will serve in the U.S. Senate.
Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced Thursday that manual recounts of “overvotes” and “undervotes” will be required in the two statewide races, as the margins between candidates were below 0.25 percent after machine recounts in most counties.
The announcement came amid a series of legal battles that focus on the race between Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and his Republican challenger, Gov. Rick Scott.
Scott continued to hold a lead after the machine recounts, as did Democrat Nikki Fried in her race against Republican Matt Caldwell for agriculture commissioner.
Manual recounts are also required in three state legislative races: in Hillsborough County’s Senate District 18, where Democratic challenger Janet Cruz leads incumbent Republican Dana Young; in Volusia County’s House District 26, where Republican Elizabeth Fetterhoff is ahead of incumbent Democrat Patrick Henry; and in Palm Beach County’s House District 89, where Republican Mike Caruso leads Democrat Jim Bonfiglio.
Earlier Thursday, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker rejected a request from the Nelson campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to extend recount deadlines because of problems in Palm Beach County. The machine recount deadline was 3 p.m. Thursday for results in the Nov. 6 elections.
Barring changes caused by other court rulings, the deadline for manual-recount results is noon Sunday. By then, county canvassing boards will have to determine the intentions of thousands of voters who caused their ballots to be set aside by tabulating machines because they skipped voting in contests — “undervotes” — or made ballot marks beyond what was required — “overvotes.”
Unofficial results Saturday showed Scott ahead by 12,562 votes, but that number increased slightly to 12,603 after the manual recounts. Palm Beach, Broward, Highlands, Hillsborough, Clay, DeSoto, Hardee and Lee counties did not post new numbers after the Saturday results.
At the same time, Fried, an attorney and lobbyist from Fort Lauderdale, saw her Saturday lead drop by 21 votes, from 5,326 to 5,307, over Caldwell, a state House member from North Fort Myers. The two are trying to replace term-limited Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
More than an hour before the recount results were posted, Scott’s campaign sent out an email labeling him “Senator-elect.”
“Last week, Florida voters elected me as their next U.S. Senator and now the ballots have been counted twice,” Scott said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud and humbled by the opportunity to serve Florida in Washington. Our state needs to move forward. We need to put this election behind us, and it is time for Bill Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes — which will yield the same result, and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served.”
Rather than concede, Nelson’s lead recount attorney, Marc Elias, announced a lawsuit was being filed against Palm Beach County and the Florida secretary of state seeking to require a hand count of all ballots in the county “due to systematic machine failure during the machine recount.”
In a conference call with reporters, Elias said the campaign had sought all along the statewide manual recount. He contended the margin will go down “and ultimately disappear entirely” if vote-by-mail ballots that were cast before Election Day but arrived after a deadline are counted and as canvassing boards view the undervotes and overvotes.
“This is where people lay eyes on ballots and make determinations as to voter intent,” Elias said in a conference call with reporters. “Machines are wonderful counters for the vast majority of ballots, but there are going to be, and we know that there are, significant numbers of ballots, in the tens of thousands or higher, that the machines couldn’t read one way or the other.”
Elias said Broward County has about 23,000 undervotes and overvotes. Broward, which completed the machine recount, failed to get the updated numbers to the state before Thursday’s deadline.
Palm Beach County, using aging voting equipment, failed to complete the machine recount and resubmitted its earlier unofficial numbers.
Hillsborough County, which suffered a pair of power outages during its recount on Wednesday, also re-submitted its original unofficial numbers.
Even with the slight decline in overall numbers after the machine recount, Fried’s campaign declared victory, something Caldwell did on election night.
“Even though I will be the only member of my party on the Cabinet, I will govern based on my values and be a voice for priority issues that reach beyond partisanship, priorities shared by Floridians,” Fried said in a prepared statement.
However, Caldwell wasn’t ready to concede, vowing to “keeping fighting” while calling out Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes.
“I am pleased the recount will move forward as we continue working to uncover the truth about what happened in Broward County, where over 80,000 ballots appeared without explanation in the vote tally after election night,” Caldwell said in a statement.
The Florida Elections Canvassing Commission is slated to meet Tuesday to certify the election results. Scott is a member of the commission, along with two Cabinet members, but he has said he intends to recuse himself from the panel.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Second Round Football Playoff Games Are Tonight
November 16, 2018
The second round of the FHSAA state playoffs are tonight, with Northview, Jay, Escambia, Pine Forest and Catholic in action.
Northview will travel to top seed Baker.
“It’s going to be tough. Our kids want it,” Northview head coach Derek Marshman said. “They want that challenge. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”
All games are at 7:30 p.m. as follows:
Class 6A – Region 1
- Escambia at Navarre
- Crestview at Pine Forest
Class 3A – Region 1
- Pensacola Catholic at Florida High
- Taylor County at St. Joseph
Class 1A – Region 1
- Northview at Baker
- Jay at Vernon
First Round Scores (Nov. 9)
Class 6A – Region 1
- Navarre 38, Pace 6
- Escambia 33, St. Augustine 16
- Pine Forest 27, Gulf Breeze 14
- Crestview 28, Niceville 7
Class 5A – Region 1
- Bolles 30, West Florida 27
Class 3A – Region 1
- Pensacola Catholic 49, Fort White 34
- Taylor County 24, Baldwin 17
Class 1A – Region 1
- Jay 49, Bozeman 0
- Northview 40, Graceville 14
- Baker 49, Freeport 21
- Vernon 40, Chipley 0