Polls open in Broward with only one minor glitch

By Jeremy Milarsky
Staff Writer South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted August 31 2004

Broward County's polls opened this morning with only one small glitch someone forgot to get a key for a precinct in southwest Fort Lauderdale.

Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes said two voters had to wait about five minutes at the Christian Academy, 1100 SW 21st St., while deputies broke in so that the polling place could open.

"I would consider that a minor glitch. We had new staff, and they didn't get the key from the church staff," Snipes said.

Otherwise, Snipes said, her agency is ready to handle the more than 200,000 people, or at least one in five of the county's voters, expected to cast votes in today's election. Many of those people about 35,700 already had voted by Monday afternoon, either by mailing in a paper absentee ballot or by early voting on touch-screen machines.

For the rest, Broward's more than 500 polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today.

Multiple watchdog groups and the state's two major political parties will follow the election, in part because of an ongoing controversy in verifying the accuracy of touch-screen voting machines used in Broward and 14 other counties, and general worries among some voters that their ballots will not be counted.

"The idea is to work in cooperation with as many people as possible to ensure there are no problems," said Elliot Mincberg, legal director for People for the American Way, one of the Washington-based groups observing today's election. "I think we would be thrilled if [today] is a quiet day."

No matter who is watching or how many votes are cast, it'll be a busy day for those who want a political office. Candidates seeking seats from Pembroke Pines' City Hall to the U.S. Senate will be making last-minute pitches for votes.

Since today is a primary election, some contests will simply weed out those who will not move on to face opponents in the Nov. 2 general election. Others, such as nonpartisan contests for School Board and judicial seats, could be decided today.

To ease the rush at the polls, early voting began Aug. 16 at 10 locations in Broward.

Should any candidate win one of today's political contests by a razor-thin margin, there won't be hand-recounts of ballots afterward.

Broward's voting machines, as well as touch-screen machines elsewhere in the state, leave no paper trail that can be hand counted.

The lack of a paper trail has led to at least one major lawsuit to require printers on the electronic voting devices and a determination by Secretary of State Glenda Hood that digital-ballot recounts are moot.

An administrative law judge on Friday ruled that Hood overstepped her authority regarding recounts on touch-screen machines and left the issue open to additional legal action. Jenny Nash, a spokeswoman for Hood, said no decision has yet been made to appeal Friday's ruling that the state must allow for recounts.

"We're still reviewing our options," she said. "We have 30 days to appeal."

The state rule prohibiting recounts in counties with electronic voting machines, for now, will stay in effect.

Snipes said she plans to ask her staff to survey at least 500 people as they leave the polls today to get feedback on their voting experience.

Snipes has said she is not concerned about the scrutiny from outside groups.

"We put the pressure on ourselves," she said.

"We are voters and residents of Broward County. And I think the workers in this office want to have pride in their work."