Judge Will Hear Absentee Ballot Suit

Judge Will Hear Absentee Ballot Suit

NewsMax.com Wires
Monday, Nov. 20, 2000

SANFORD, Fla. – A judge ruled Monday she would hear a suit challenging Seminole County's absentee ballots on the grounds of alleged fraud.

Democrat Harry Jacobs filed the suit Friday, claiming Supervisor of Elections Sandra Goard violated state law.

About 4,700 absentee ballot requests mailed to registered Republicans by their party were received by the supervisor's office missing the required four-digit voter ID numbers. Goard allowed a Republican representative to sit in her office and fill in these numbers, ultimately mailing out the requested absentee ballots.

Jacobs' suit contends that is not permissible. He wants the affected 4,700 absentee ballots nullified, and, if they can no longer be identified, he wants all of the county's absentee votes disqualified.

Of the 15,000 absentee ballots received, 10,000 votes went to Republican George W. Bush and 5,000 to Democrat Al Gore.

In her ruling, Circuit Judge Debra Nelson denied a Republican motion seeking to dismiss the suit. The case will be heard Nov. 27.

"She [Goard] gave the Republican Party an opportunity here that is unequaled, an opportunity to affect the outcome of this election where every vote is crucial," Jacobs said.

Republican Jim Stelling said, "This is Al Gore and his team of lawyers, trial lawyers, just trying to stir the pot and do anything they can to gum up our election process."

How a Florida Supreme Court ruling expected this week on whether Secretary of State Katherine Harris must accept late-filed vote recount changes will affect this case is unknown.

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