Nearly 500 provisional ballots don't make cut
Most of the rejected ballots were cast by people who had not registered to vote, officials say.
By JEFF TESTERMAN
Published November 5, 2004
TAMPA - Hurrying to file preliminary results of the general election with the state Thursday, the Hillsborough Canvassing Board threw out nearly 500 provisional ballots, most for people who tried to cast ballots but were not registered to vote.
The three-man board also approved more than 265 provisional ballots - the paper ballots handed to voters whose eligibility at a particular precinct was questioned for one reason or another.
After a general election that saw long delays at most polling places, the board set an interesting precedent in one case when it approved the provisional ballot of a woman who insisted upon filing it simply because she got tired of waiting in line for a touch screen voting machine.
In another case, the Canvassing Board reviewed the provisional ballot for a woman who was listed as deceased on her precinct register. After the voter filled out the provisional ballot, elections workers dug up data showing they had erroneously listed her as deceased. That led to the approval of the provisional ballot, and a quip from Canvassing Board member and County Judge James V. Dominguez.
"That Buddy Johnson, he can raise voters from the dead," said Dominguez, grinning at Johnson, the newly-elected elections chief sitting across the table from him. "He is a full-service supervisor."
The board examined close to 1,000 absentee and provisional ballots, which were then hurriedly tabulated so Johnson could meet a noon deadline to file an initial report of unofficial general election results with the Florida Division of Elections. The board has until Nov. 12 to complete its job, with more than 1,300 absentee and provisional ballots, as well as hundreds of overseas ballots yet to be reviewed.
The overseas ballots received after election day count only in federal races, such as for president and senator.
The Pinellas County Canvassing Board went through the same routine Thursday, examining 740 provisional ballots, rejecting 627 and accepting 113. The most common reason for turning down a provisional vote was that the person was not registered. That was the case for 280 ballots, with another 81 rejected because the voter was registered elsewhere.
Another 101 turned in an incomplete voter registration or registered after the deadline. After Thursday's tally in Hillsborough County, Dominguez said it appears unlikely any local countywide race would require a recount. An automatic recount is triggered when a candidate's margin of victory is less than 0.5 percent of the vote total - unless the loser declines a recount.
The closest countywide race in Hillsborough saw Republican Brian Blair edge Democrat Bob Buckhorn by 2,368 votes for the District 6 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. Most of the remaining ballots to be canvassed would have to be declared legitimate, and most would have to go to Buckhorn for a recount to be declared, Dominguez said.
The situation is less certain in the race for Seat 5 on the Cheval West Community Development District, where Nathan Whitaker nipped Mary M. Castro 461-459. A few votes from those yet to be canvassed could solidify Whitaker's victory, reverse that outcome or cause a recount.
The Pinellas County Canvassing Board went through the same routine Thursday, examining 740 provisional ballots, rejecting 627 and accepting 113. The most common reason for turning down a provisional vote was that the person was not registered. That was the case for 280 ballots, with another 81 rejected because the voter was registered elsewhere.
Only four Pinellas provisional ballots were cast as a result of challenges. Three of those were accepted; one was rejected because the voter was already registered in Hillsborough County.
Thursday, the Canvassing Board, consisting of Dominguez and County Commissioners Jim Norman and Thomas Scott, voted quickly to determine if some unusual explanations were cause for filing provisional ballots.
They gave a quick thumbs down for the man who filled out a provisional ballot after complaining he was unable to get to his home precinct because his car had been towed to a repair shop.
They also rejected the ballot of a woman who voted provisionally after she had waited in line at a crowded precinct until 5:45 p.m., left to pick up her children, then returned at 7:30 p.m., when the polls closed.
The board did side with a voter who filed a provisional ballot because she wanted to vote only in the presidential race, and did not want to use a touch screen machine to do it.
The board also was sympathetic to a voter who arrived at her home precinct, was sent by poll workers to another precinct by mistake, then returned to find her home precinct closed.
"I believe it was our error," said Norman.
"Yes, I think her vote should count," said Dominguez.
Times staff writer Michael Sandler contributed to this report. Jeff Testerman can be reached at 813 226-3422 or by e-mail at testerman@sptimes.com