Murphy’s lead beyond recount: Victory certain!!! [View all]

[RandiFan1290]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/national-govt-politics/murphys-lead-beyond-recount-victory-certain/nS3mn/

Palm Beach county ballot tallies updated at 1 a.m. today give Patrick Murphy, the Democratic candidate for House District 18, enough of a lead to avoid a recount and comfortably celebrate his victory over Republican Allen West.

The updated numbers put Murphy ahead of West by 2,429 votes. Overall, Murphy captured 166,799 votes to West’s 164,370 in District 18, which spans portions of Martin, St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties.

An automatic recount is triggered by a margin of 0.5 percent of all ballots cast. Murphy’s current lead gives him a .7 percent advantage. All ballots in Martin and St. Lucie counties have been counted.

The tallies released this morning by Susan Bucher, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, include 136,274 ballots cast during early voting, on election day and by absentee ballot. That number represents a 68.5 percent turnout of the voters within the District 18 boundary in Palm Beach county.




Hey Allen: