Claims of GOP pressure denied

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 16, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida elections supervisors said Sunday that court orders and differing interpretations of the law led to discrepancies in how strict they were in deciding whether to accept overseas ballots in the presidential election.

Several supervisors denied they were coerced by Republicans to be more open to counting military ballots that favored George W. Bush.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Republicans put intense pressure on officials in GOP-leaning counties to accept overseas absentee ballots that didn't comply with the letter of the law on when they should be counted -- particularly that they needed a postmark.

Four out of five questionable ballots were accepted as legal in counties carried by Bush, although it can't be determined for whom those votes were actually cast, the newspaper reported after an extensive investigation into the overseas ballots.

In heavily Republican Okaloosa County in the Panhandle, elections officials initially rejected several ballots, but later counted them.

The county counted the ballots without proper postmarks because it was under federal court order to do so, elections supervisor Pat Hollarn said. "The court order said to count them regardless of the postmark," Hollarn said. "You don't ignore a federal judge."

She denied canvassing board members bowed to GOP pressure.

"We allowed the Republicans and Democrats to file their protests. We took note, filed them away . . . and did what we thought was right," Hollarn said. "There's no way anyone could coerce me. I grew up with the Mafia. It simply didn't happen here."

Supervisors acknowledged that counties did approach overseas absentee ballots differently.

The New York Times reported that in counties in which Al Gore won, Republicans didn't press for inclusion of questionable overseas ballots, instead arguing against their acceptance.

"It substantiates what a lot of people already know: that the election was a story of 67 counties with different procedures, different canvassing boards and different outcomes," said Pam Iorio, elections supervisor in Hillsborough County.

Iorio acknowledged the pressure canvassing boards felt, but said it came from both sides.

"There was a great deal of pressure in every county," Iorio said. "I thought it was extremely important that we adhere to the law and be consistent with how we apply the law."

But the counties disagreed on the standard. While Okaloosa initially was relying on state law's prohibition against counting ballots without postmarks, for example, some relied on a recent court opinion that addressed the issue.

The New York Times report said the Bush camp targeted military counties such as Okaloosa.

Fred Galey, supervisor of elections in Brevard County, which includes Patrick Air Force Base, said he didn't get pressure from Republicans, but from the Gore camp.

"The only pressure I received was from Democrats not to count any of them," Galey said. "They objected to everything."

Democrats suggest inquiry

WASHINGTON -- Several leading Democrats said Sunday that the Bush campaign acted improperly in pressing for counting overseas absentee ballots in Florida after last year's presidential election.

Some said they would probably call upon congressional investigators to open an inquiry into efforts by Republicans to involve the Pentagon to help them contact military personnel.

"This (New York Times) story confirms our worst fears about the Bush team's campaign to manipulate the Florida vote," said Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "It proves that President Bush was determined to win by any means necessary, including violating the spirit if not the actual letter of the law. The story raises many disturbing questions about the conduct of President Bush in this campaign. He owes the American people an explanation of his actions."

McAuliffe and other Democrats said they were particularly distressed that Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., had sent an urgent request to the Pentagon asking for telephone numbers or e-mail addresses of sailors, including some whose absentee ballots had been disqualified.

"I don't think it's proper for the Pentagon to hand out people's private e-mail addresses to the political parties -- to either party," said Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., the minority leader.

Recent coverage

Bush focus: Get in overseas votes (July 15, 2001)

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