- Title: Democrats dig in for Florida recount battle
- Date: 9th November 2018
- Summary: CARTHAGE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES (FILE - NOVEMBER 7, 2000) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FORMER UNITED STATES VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE EMERGING FROM VOTING BOOTH AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (FILE - NOVEMBER 7, 2000) (REUTERS) FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH INSERTING BALLOT INTO BOX
- Embargoed: 23rd November 2018 21:37
- Keywords: Donald Trump Rick Scott Bill Nelson Florida Florida election Florida senate recount election recount politics
- Location: BROWARD COUNTY + FORT LAUDERDALE + MIAMI, FLORIDA + CARTHAGE, TENNESSEE + AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- City: BROWARD COUNTY + FORT LAUDERDALE + MIAMI, FLORIDA + CARTHAGE, TENNESSEE + AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00295SCU9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Florida's bitter races for the U.S. Senate and governor appeared headed to recounts on Friday (November 9) as Republican leads narrowed, and President Donald Trump vowed to send in lawyers in a development reminiscent of the state's dramatic 2000 presidential recount.
As his lead dwindled in Florida's Senate race, Republican Governor Rick Scott filed lawsuits late on Thursday against Democratic election supervisors in two counties, accusing them of violating election law and demanding access to records of their vote tallies.
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson's campaign also filed a motion in federal court asking that provisional and absentee ballots not be rejected because election officials deem that the signatures do not match voters' signatures already on file.
Nelson's lawsuit, filed on Thursday, also seeks to extend the Saturday deadline for county canvassing boards to submit their unofficial results.
The Florida contests, along with the races for governor in Georgia and U.S. Senate in Arizona, are the most high-profile races still to be decided after Tuesday's midterm congressional elections.
The accusations and lawsuits in the political battleground of Florida conjured memories of the state's 2000 presidential recount, when the winner of the White House hung in the balance for weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the counting and Republican George W. Bush triumphed over Democrat Al Gore.
In Florida, the recounts and possible legal challenges mean it could be weeks until a winner is determined in either race. Scott's lead has been steadily shrinking in the Senate race as the state's largest counties continue to tally ballots that were mailed in or cast on a provisional basis on Tuesday.
Elias said Democrats historically tend to pick up votes in recounts, especially hand recounts. The lawsuit filed by Nelson and Democrats notes that "thousands of eligible Florida voters" could see their rights violated under the state's signature-matching requirements, citing research suggesting that ballots submitted by black and young voters are disproportionately rejected using that standard.
Scott's lawsuits accuse Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher of mishandling the ballot count and preventing observers from having full access as votes are counted. Snipes and Bucher did not immediately respond to requests for comment. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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