State Democrats challenge Hood's recount rule

Dara Kam - October 23, 2004

TALLAHASSEE — State Democrats filed a challenge Friday to Secretary of State Glenda Hood's emergency rule regarding how to conduct manual recounts on touch-screen voting machines.

Hood issued the rule Oct. 15, more than a month after an administrative law judge threw out Hood's previous rule that exempted the 15 counties that use touch-screen machines from performing manual recounts in very close elections.

The complaint, filed by the Florida Democratic Party in the First District Court of Appeal, charges that Hood "waited until the last possible moment, declared an 'emergency,' repackaged the invalidated rule in form but retained its substance, and foisted it upon the voters of Florida."

Hood's new rule said that elections officials should print a "ballot image report" of what the voter saw on the screen.

A coalition of unions, civil-rights groups and U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler wanted a voter-verified paper trail.

"Once again, we're extremely disappointed with these partisan tactics to litigate every single issue," Hood's spokeswoman, Alia Faraj, said of the challenge. "This is part of the attempt to create confusion and chaos."

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