Pinellas County FL - Changed their results AFTER vote certified

[DoYouEverWonder]

Checking the Pinellas County website tonight and it appears that they've gone ahead and changed their 'Final Official Results'.


General Election 11/2/2004 Last Updated : 11/18/04 03:39 PM


George W. Bush/Dick Cheney (REP) 225,782

John F. Kerry/John Edwards (DEM) 225,625

Other = 4,214

Total = 455,621


However, on 11/15/04 these were the 'Final Official Results' (I happen to have a hard copy).


General Election 11/2/2004 Last Updated : 11/15/04 11:46 AM


George W. Bush/Dick Cheney (REP) 225,686

John F. Kerry/John Edwards (DEM) 225,460

Other = 4,211

Total = 455,357


Of course, the additional votes don't change the outcome of the election or anything. The problem is that Pinellas was allowed to change their "Official Final Results' after the election was certified. Now, remember in 2000 when Katherine Harris certified the vote for Bush. West Palm Beach still had not finished their hand count. They were within 1/2 hour of being done, but Katherine Harris couldn't wait. The law was the law and it was very clear that the vote had to be certified by the exact time stipulated and not one minute later. If West Palm Beach had just 30 more minutes, Gore would probably won the election.

So here we are 4 years later. It seems that the Repugs aren't interested in the law or deadlines or any of that any more. They just do whatever suits them, knowing that no one will probably even notice. I wonder how many other results they are 'fixing' while they think no one is looking?

[jsamuel]

1. Maybe this is the box of votes they found a long time after the election

[liquiduniverse]

6. Here's a link to the story of the extra ballots

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/19/Tampabay/More_missing_ballots_.shtml

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. No, it doesn't change the result, except

it does add more to *, and take away from Kerry. What it does, is increase the margin, to help assure *'s majority, rather than plurality, win. It's the 'mandate'.

[karlrschneider]

3. Uh according to my quick calc, it gave * 157 more and JK 165 more...

:eyes:

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. Uh, yeah. Sorry bout that. I get a little dislexic sometimes.

But as previously said, they shouldn't be changing it once it's final, I said feebly as I slunk away embarassed.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. It's not the quantity

It's the hypocrisy.

It doesn't matter how many votes they find now that the vote has been certified. Why is the SOS Glenda Hood allowing anyone to change their results after posted the final official results? Isn't that against the law for her to do that?

It was my understanding, that the only way to change the results now would be if there is a recount or if someone contests the election?

[floridadem30]

7. Good point

[neohippie]

8. Ok, now isn't Pinellas County a Republican stronghold in FL

I mean isn't that county full of retired transplants from the east coast. I grew up in Tampa and from what I remember this county was consistently for Repugs.

SO, it went half for Kerry and Half for Bush, that has to mean a whole lot of Republicans must have voted to oust Bush, makes me wonder how come that didn't seem to happen all over the country

[liquiduniverse]

9. No

Pinellas has slightly more registered Repugs than Dems, but it also has a large independent population that tends to vote Democratic. Gore edged out Bush in the 2000 election and Kerry barely lost this one (and there could still be some more lost ballots out there).

[neohippie]

10. I just remember from back in the Reagan Bush years

when Florida elected Bob Martinez the democrat turned republican at the first Republican Governor of Florida in a long time, and that he appointed Jeb Bush to his cabinet, It was Martinez who brought Jebbie to Tallahassee.

I thought Pinellas county played a big part in helping Martinez win.

[liquiduniverse]

11. There were a lot more old people back then

I think they all died off - LOL.

I would also guess that Martinez got some extra support from Pinellas because he was from the Tampa Bay area, so he was already known to them.

[jsamuel]

12. HELLO??? Kerry gained 165, Bush gained 96

DOES ANYONE SEE WHAT I SEE?