The Palm County hand count of a 1% sample is complete, and Gore has gained 33 votes. This was done with Republicans watching, so it is probably exact and fair.

Palm County says that their machines never produce the same totals each time the ballots are fed through, there is a margin for error of 2 to 5%.

A Palm County official has decided to have all votes from that county recounted by hand, in light of the difference from this new recount.

Bush is trying to stop this from happening, will be in court Monday. On the other side of the coin, Bush was in favor of a hand count in New Mexico, because it allowed him to take the state away from Gore. He is threatening to do the same in other states. Polls of the people say they don't like the idea that he is playing "tit-for-tat", the primary focus to determine the election should be based on who wins Florida.

In a county where a couple of hundred votes makes the difference in the election, hand counting appears to be the fairest way to go, as long as observers from both parties are present.

Polls indicate that the majority of Americans want the count to be done accurately and fairly, no matter how long it takes. There is no reason to rush something so important, since we have over two months before the new president takes office.

-- (florida@sunday.morning), November 12, 2000

Answers

http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epaper/editions/today/

Florida's recount ripple becomes national wave
By Brian E. Crowley, Palm Beach Post Political Editor
Florida's ballot recount is rippling across the nation. Four other states are now considering doing the same thing, and more might follow. The Florida ripple could further confuse an already chaotic presidential election that remains undecided and is likely to stay that way for at least another week.

Election result could swing on hand tally today
By Scott Hiaasen and Marc Caputo, Palm Beach Post Staff Writers
WEST PALM BEACH -- Forget the 19,000 double votes for president. Put aside the smattering of ballots for Pat Buchanan in Jewish districts. The real focus of today's manual recount is a block of 10,361 phantom Palm Beach County ballots that named no president in Tuesday's election.

Holes in punch card to get scrutiny in recount
By George Bennett, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tiny, hanging bits of partially perforated computer cards could determine the leadership of the free world. In election recounts like the one scheduled today in Palm Beach County, all eyes will be on "chads," the term elections professionals use for the small rectangles voters punch when they mark their ballots.

-- The (Palm@Beach.Post), November 12, 2000.

How can a manual recount be accomplished when the man in charge stated that all Florida counties must have certified their totals by 5 pm Tuesday? If a county has not certified the totals by then, the entire county will be eliminated.

-- Pam (Pam @ judge.of electons), November 12, 2000.

I think the deadline date was set at November 17, but that could probably be extended if needed.

-- (what@i.heard), November 12, 2000.

Found this in my mailbox this mornin'.

"The Missouri Democratic Party is planning to run Harry S Truman for Senator in the special election for 2002. Since he's been dead even longer than Mel Carnahan, he should win by a landslide. And since a dead man can be elected to office, it seems unfair to prohibit dead people from voting. So next time, the polls will be kept open until midnight, to allow dead people more time to vote."

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), November 12, 2000.

Hello 'What I heard',

Mr Crawford, the man appointed to take Gov. Jeb Bush's place on the Florida Election Board, has stated that all Florida counties must have certified vote counts by Tuesday or face being not counted at all. He pointed out that this is Florida law and that counties considering hand counts should take this law into consideration.

Personally, I would like to see all of Florida recounted with hand counts------even Duval county which has already certified its vote but has 29,000 votes that were invalid. If Florida is the pivotal state, so be it. Let whoever wins, win. BUT, let's have as valid a vote count as can be humanly done.

-- Pam (Pam @ judge.of election), November 12, 2000.

What was all of the talk about November 17 then?

-- just heresay? (what@i.heard), November 12, 2000.

Hello 'What'--

That's why I asked the question about hand counting and the Tuesday deadline. I read that:

1.The deadline for absentee votes to be received is Nov. 17th;

2. The votes in each county must be certified by Tuesday if they are to be counted;

3. Florida elections are controlled by Florida;

4. The Republicans have asked a Federal Court to decide a State voting issue.

I have no idea how 1&2 or 3&4 fit together.

-- Pam (Pam@judge.of election), November 12, 2000.

LOL, thanks, that's what I thought. I don't see how 1 and 2 fit together either! Except for the possibility that the "Republican in charge" is making up new "laws" as we go along, in the interest of preventing a legitimate hand count (wishful thinking). I'm sure it will be completed by the 17th, before they even start counting the absentee ballots.

-- (what@i.heard), November 12, 2000.

Capnfun--

That was pretty funny. Maybe you should repost it separately so more people get to enjoy it.

-- Pam (Pam@judge.of election), November 12, 2000.