Slim 368-vote margin will trigger a recount for the 13th District Sarasota FL

[graywarrior]

By JEREMY WALLACE
H-T POLITICAL WRITER

[email protected]

Republican Vern Buchanan was clinging to a 368-vote edge over Democrat Christine Jennings for the 13th Congressional District early this morning.

(snip}
Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent couldn’t explain why 8,000 to 10,000 fewer people voted in the congressional race than in other high-profile races for governor, attorney general or U.S. Senate. But she said nothing mechanical went wrong with the county’s $4.7 million touchscreen voting machine system.



http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061108/NEWS/611080506

[flpoljunkie]

1. Thanks for posting this. Definitely one to watch. Oh, wait, you can't do a recount on touchscreen

It's actually against the law in Florida so I am having a hard time seeing how they can do a recount. The article states that folks had much difficulty using the touchscreen machines, trying to get them to register a vote for Christine Jennings.

[graywarrior]

2. More people voted absentee ballots, so maybe that's the recount

Sarasota was supposed to be leaning dem for this election. I have to go find the exit polling results.

[ChiciB1]

7. I Voted Absentee & All Of My Family Did... We Had Suspicions

about the Absentee votes in 2004 too!! If I were to bet, and if we get a FAIR representation.... I say Jennings will come out on top!!

I phone banked for Jennings and there was a HUGE Robo-Call issue here too! I actually reported to WPO and state Democratic Headquarters, who BTW never RETURNED my messages. But I tried very very hard to get this issue front and center as soon as I heard about it. I also posted here at DU just exactly what the calls were saying via an email I received from the Jennings Campaign!

I will say too that I did NOT vote for Jennings in the Primary, I find her to be a little stand-offish myself, having worked at her headquarters, but still there is NO comparison between her and Buchanan. He did out spend her by very large margins, but he's really a negative, nasty person who will stoop pretty low!!

Bill Nelson likes Jennings so he may help her some, but I'm not crazy about him either. We didn't have much choice here in my District or the state for that matter. I think Davis may have went down because he just didn't campaign in areas I think he could have done much better. We had problems getting signs and bumper stickers here, so that could have been part of a problem. He was endorsed by so many newspapers, including the local one here. But not much advertisement as far as I could tell.

But then, Jebby had his fingers in that race so who knows??

[Apollo11]

3. No paper trail

How do they expect us to trust the result?

There's no reason for us to think that the GOP have stopped trying to steal elections.

They can't steal every race every time. But if they have a shot, they think "why not?"

[ChiciB1]

9. Paper Ballot Measure PASSED! Big!!

And they gave us grief from the very beginning!

Okay, I'm done from Sarasota County for a while, just had to add my 2 cents because I worked this area really hard. Hated to see David Shapiro go down, but he did very well considering. But then if there was "funny business" with the machines he might have won. Don't think he can call for a recount though. I'll call the headquarters. but I don't think it will be possible. Holder is a little better than Buchanan, but not very much. We're talking centimeters in differences!

[lpbk2713]

4. Buchanan ran the most negative ads of any candidate I saw on TV.

There were virtually none telling of what his 'good' points may be or what kind of improvements he would make. They were all about slinging mud at Christine Jennings, who to her credit refused to reciprocate.

[graywarrior]

5. When Kathy Dent, supervisor of elections makes statements

to the newspapers like she'd be shocked if Davis wins the election, then something is not right.

[ChiciB1]

8. Yeah, You've Been Here & I Think You Know About Kathy Dearest!!! n/t

[ChiciB1]

6. Kathy Dent Made Comments Early Yesterday Morning That She Felt

the people complaining about the "glitch" were only those of us who worked to get a paper trail! She was on and acting so very partisan as a Repuke she piratically spat the words out. Words that she's eating this AM! If the paper ballot issue won big, I'm almost betting that Buchanan DID NOT win.

He's a low down dirty piece of work and he NEVER polled ahead of her since the primary. I really think when they do the recount that Jennings will win!!

Dent has been adamantly AGAINST a paper trail from the get-go, and she's just another Katherine Harris to me. She's been surrounded with all kinds of negative news stories about various actions she's taken in the past. She really MUST go and I do think when it comes time, she WILL go!! She showed her stripes yesterday morning in such a negative way and by making such a negative comment about the SAFE people being the only ones complaining.

This AM she's saying, well maybe the 8,000 to 10,000 vote discrepancy here in Sarasota County might be because BOTH candidates are from Sarasota! She knows it's bull and I KNOW it's BULL-Shit!!

Went to bed last night thinking MT was a (D) winner and see that they're still counting... I'm highly suspicious about that race too!

But here in Sarasota County, there WILL most definitely be a re-count and we can only wish that the Democrats have enough representation! Something really smells here, but then it IS Cruella's old seat, maybe she passed on some "trade secrets" to The Witch Dent in the end!

I am really really pissed this morning.... sorry to be so in you face this early, but this is a CROCK!!