Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), who has spoken out this week about potential malfeasance on the behalf of officials in liberal Florida counties, took to Twitter Friday morning to further express concerns about voter irregularities in the state's midterm elections.
In a series of tweets, Rubio noted that out of the more than 8 million votes cast in the state, only Broward County’s were still untabulated and unreported. The margin in the governor’s race between Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis was at 0.4 percent Friday morning. The Senate race between incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D.) and Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R.) was at 0.2 percent.
By law, Rubio explained, all early votes had to be counted by Tuesday night. Nevertheless, "48 hours after deadline," Broward had yet to report all results.
Every vote legally cast should be counted. That’s the law
Have no problem with recounts. That’s the law.
But last early votes were cast Sunday & had to be submitted by Tue evening. That the law too.
Yet 48 hours after deadline #BrowardCounty is only county still counting them
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 9, 2018
By law, Florida requires a recount for races with a margin of less than 0.5 percent. Rubio, echoing remarks Scott made Thursday night, warned Democrat operative lawyers were "descending on Florida" to involve themselves in the overdue count and likely recount in order to reverse the results. He previously warned Democrats would be trying "to change the results of election." This was not simple a case of "incompetence," but of operatives trying to "steal" the election, Rubio said. The senator pointed to one Democrat lawyer’s comments that they were "doing this not just because it's automatic," but rather "to win."
Recounts in close races are automatic under #Florida law & I support a #FloridaRecount2018 100%.
What is happening in #BrowardCounty isn’t about a recount. As Dem lawyer said "We're doing this not just because it's automatic,but we're doing it to win," https://t.co/w2y03m9Ay6
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 9, 2018
Out of dozens of counties, only Broward has yet to report how many votes were cast.
Under #Florida law county must upload by 7 p.m. day BEFORE election ALL early votes canvassed & tabulated by end of early voting & report results within 30 minutes of polls close
60 hours after that deadline only 1 of 67 counties is still counting early votes, #BrowardCounty pic.twitter.com/oP7HdpZcTk
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 9, 2018
Rubio’s alarm at Broward’s delayed results follows its history of election irregularities and other scandals. In 2017, a judge ruled that Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes had improperly destroyed paper ballots in an election. Snipes kept her job but was assigned a judge to supervise her handling of mail-in ballots.
Snipes’s problems, however, persist. Thursday, Scott accused Snipes of being "unwilling to disclose records revealing how many electors voted, how many ballots have been canvassed, and how many ballots remain to be canvassed."
Friday morning, Rubio shared a video showing Snipes leaving a Thursday night meeting without taking questions, despite her earlier promises to the contrary.
Brenda Snipes, with @BrowardSOE, dodges questions and leaves after repeatedly saying she would take questions after this meeting. Reconvening tomorrow at 1pm to have canvassing board review 238 provisional ballots (205 in dispute + 33 provisional early votes) pic.twitter.com/oiG1d5CFg7
— Alex Harris (@harrisalexc) November 9, 2018
Rubio worried Florida’s self-inflicted election controversy could weaken faith in key democratic institutions. "The last thing our already dangerously divided nation needs is an important election [half] our people believe was rigged by the other [half]," he wrote.
The incompetence of & the violation of #Florida reporting requirements by #BrowardCounty elections dept could impact more than just the outcome
The last thing our already dangerously divided nation needs is an important election 1/2 our people believe was rigged by the other 1/2
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 9, 2018
According to Broward County’s own elections website, early votes had still not been fully counted and reported as of 7:13 p.m. Thursday. It presently reports 712,840 votes in the county.