By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
This quarrelsome depiction of a fair and just system of elections has left a country divided and civilized people wandering what will be next?
As a hopeful Andrew Gillum pledges to hold fast to dreams and galvanize more people of moral dissent, the war on the need for “every vote to be counted”, is taking its toll.
In speech after speech and rally after rally the messages of those who seek leadership from the Democratic Party have been ones of inclusion to help the poor and the disenfranchised. THEY discuss the critical need to ‘Count Every Vote;’ however, the Republicans have spewed venom of disrespect influenced with dog whistles that calls for a deeper division in this country.
Just what most Democratic and rational voters suspected, the warning of a federal investigation into unproven accusations of voter fraud in Broward County Florida amounted to nothing more than wishful thinking from Governor Rick Scott and a following mob with thug- like behavior.
As ballots are being presented and counted in Florida’s quarrelsome election, the majority of scrutiny is focused on Broward County, where the possibility of thousands of uncounted votes will decide who will win. The next governor of Florida and perhaps the first Black Governor could very well enlighten the world to why the very capable and competent Black qualified woman controlling the election has been under such vicious assault by Republicans and those who don’t want a “different” governor.
One protestor at the Supervisor of Elections Office in Broward County held a sign that read: “When Snipes counts votes, votes don’t count.” Another read; “Snipes creates fake ballots and destroys real ballots. Prison.” All of these vile, pernicious comments in the form of signs compelled and amplified with verbal assaults were made stronger by racist overtones from President Donald Trump, Governor Scott and a host of Republican leaders.
Gov. Scott, whose announcement to a U.S. Senate came to a halt as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) established on last Friday that while votes continue to be counted in serval races, including governor, there was no formal request made for an investigation, perhaps it was just wishful thinking about suing Broward County Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes.
According to the Miami Herald, “We do not have an active investigation,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman, Gretl Plessinger, said.
This was in total opposition to bad-tempered Republican representatives, resentful because SOE Snipes is the administrator of the tabulation of the vote. Several Republican leaders and supporters want Snipes to be arrested.
According to Vice.com, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is so shaken by the possibility of every vote being counted in Florida, he filed lawsuits on Sunday “calling for voting machines to be impounded in two Democratic-leaning counties, after accusing his opponents of voter fraud,” according to Vice.com. Sounds like more voter suppression in plain sight.
See also: Andrew Gillum Barely Loses Florida Governor Race by the Slimmest of Margins
Vice.com reports, “Scott called on a judge to issue an emergency injunction requiring sheriffs in Broward and Palm Beach counties to impound all voting machines and ballots whenever they’re not being used in the recount — until the end of the recount and any legal action relating to the closely fought race.” Another lawsuit called for “any ballots counted after noon on Saturday to be disregarded, alleging that votes in Broward County were counted after the noon deadline.”
How wildly undemocratic and, of course, President Donald Trump agrees. He tweeted this morning : “The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!”
Lawyers for the Bill Nelson for Senate campaign late today (11-13-18) filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to extend the deadline for recounting of all the votes statewide in the U.S. Senate race. The lawsuit seeks to allow all local elections officials in the 67 Florida counties the time they say is needed to finish a legally mandated and accurate recount because the race was so close.
Brenda Snipes held recently that her division will complete a recount by machine this Thursday afternoon as the state deadline requires, adding that she might retire after this election. She opined/proffered that disparagement of her carrying out of duties is comparatively inspired by intolerance.
“We will complete the recount … I think we’re on a good schedule and we will finish before the deadline on Thursday,” Brenda Snipes told reporters in the media room.
“It is time to move on, to let someone else … I think I have served the purpose that I came here for, which was to provide a credible election,” she said. “I haven’t finalized that. I’ll just check with my family — they’ll tell me what I’m doing.”
WATCH at: www.thewestsidegazette.com to see Mayor Andrew Gillum addressed community members at New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale on the critical need to come together to protect our democracy and demand that every vote is counted. The Mayor’s remarks were part of Faith in Florida Action Funds “From Let My People Vote to Count Every Vote” event.
