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Plus related.
1/
Florida's voting laws are designed to assure maximum transparency
throughout the process. Supervisors of Election and other election
officials are required to provide accurate, timely information to both
the public and candidates, and allow candidates to observe all key steps
2/ The lawsuits filed yesterday by @FLGovScott
provide detailed allegations and evidence that the Supervisors of
Elections for Broward and Palm Beach Counties are materially violating
state law and/or the Florida Constitution by operating in secret rather
than transparently
3/ The 1st case is against Broward Cnty Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes media.local10.com/document_dev/2….
A federal court already held Dr. Snipes illegally destroyed ballots
from Rep. Wasserman-Schulz's 2016 primary in the midst of a case over
access to them politico.com/states/florida…
4/
Just a few months ago, another court held Dr. Snipes processed mail-in
ballots illegally, and apparently not in accord with state transparency
requirements. politico.com/states/florida…
5/ @FLGovScott
current lawsuit alleges that Dr. Snipes violate state public records
laws by refusing to reveal the number of ballots cast, counted, and left
to be counted in response to his specific, written request. media.local10.com/document_dev/2….
6/
In my experience, having done election day operations work in other
jurisdictions, such a blanket, unexplained refusal is bizarre. At a
minimum, one of the most important facts an election supervisor must
keep track of, and knows, is the number of ballots her office has.
7/
The number may fluctuate, especially as military/overseas ballots
arrive (the deadline for them hasn't passed), but such changes or
fluctuations must be explained.Refusing to divulge the total number of
ballots that have been cast creates unnecessary opportunities for
problems
8/
What kinds of problems? Many progressive commentators oppose voter ID
laws on the grounds that in-person voter impersonation at polling places
is rare. When election fraud occurs, they contend, it is almost always
through paper absentee ballots. blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2…
9/
Just a few days ago, a large locked box labeled "provisional ballots"
was "found" in the cafeteria Sunshine Elementary School in Miramar,
Broward County. sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/… Election officials deny it contained cast ballots. Either way, events like that are very troubling
10/
If certain Supervisors of Elections refuse to be transparent - as
required by state law - about the most basic facts concerning the
electoral process like the number of ballots cast and/or remaining to be
counted, events like the Sunshine Ballot Box are exacerbated
11/ @FlGovScott
attorney also alleges the Broward County Supervisor of Elections
refused his public records request for copies of the supervisor's daily
reports to the Secretary of State about the number of absentee and
mail-in ballots counted each day.
12/
Needless secrecy & lack of transparency undermines public faith in
the integrity of the process. Such secrecy might even violate the broad
injunction a federal court entered against Dr. Snipes just a few months
ago. politico.com/f/?id=00000165… (see p. 17)
13/ @FLGovScott
lawsuit against Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher -
supported by a verified complaint (i.e., sworn under penalty of
perjury) - provides evidence of far more serious wrongdoing. media.local10.com/document_dev/2…
14/
State law provides that, if a paper ballot is physically damaged in a
way that prevents it from being read by an automated tabulation machine,
election officials may make a replacement ballot to be run through the
machine instead.
15/
That is an *extremely serious power.* To prevent people from being
disenfranchised (potentially due to ballot handling beyond their
control), state law lets election officials create replacement ballots
to be automatically tabulated instead of the original vote.
16/
In other words, election officials, quite literally, create new ballots
to be counted. Obviously, the law requires them to fill out the
replacement ballots the same way, for the same candidates, as the
original damaged ballots they're replacing.
17/
The process creates a real, immediate opportunity for fraud that could
change an election's results.If a damaged ballot were cast for @FLGovScott,
for example, a hyper-partisan or corrupt official could be tempted to
fill out a replacement ballot for Sen Nelson, or vice versa
18/
State law *recognizes* that the literal creation of new ballots to be
counted is one of the most sensitive and vulnerable steps in the
process. That's why it requires the creation of replacement ballots must
occur "in the presence of witnesses." Fla. Stat. 101.5614(4)(a)
19/ @FlGovScott
lawsuit provides sworn evidence that the Palm Beach County Supervisor
of Elections prohibited his campaign's reps from monitoring the creation
of replacement ballots. Election officials are filling out new ballots,
but the candidate's reps apparently couldn't see
20/
Secrecy and apparent violations of state law are inexcusable when
millions of people's fundamental right to vote at stake. The entire
process must be completely transparent. /END
With the past record of Broward County officials how do we know for sure that the box of provisional ballots found in a school ACTUALLY CONTAINED PROVISIONAL BALLOTS if it did how many? What was the chain of custody for those ballots? We have video of civilians loading "BALLOTS" from civilian vehicle to a truck with NO Accountability or chain of custody for those ballots???? MY biggest questions is HOW MANY VOTE MORE THAN THE VOTING AGE POPULATION OF BROWARD COUNTY WERE CAT AND COUNTED. If there is One vote more that declare the election INVALID and start over with a simple ballot with both races on them. and only wnough ballots for the registered voters NO PROVISIONAL BALLOTS NECESSARY.
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