Late surge of absentee ballots results in slots measure win

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)-A late group of absentee ballots from Broward County has apparently shifted the tide in favor of Amendment 4, a move that could eventually bring slot machines to South Florida.

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After a margin that varied from approximately 6,500 to 10,000 votes against throughout the day Nov. 3, the tide shifted the next afternoon to the “yes” votes leading by 93,000.

On Nov. 4, the secretary of state’s Web site reported “yes” votes totaled 3,609,754, or 50.7 percent, compared to 3,516,415 against, 49.3 percent.

The secretary of state’s office simply attributed the huge swing to late-arriving absentee ballots. But a South Florida TV station reported Nov. 4 that a glitch in Broward County software had resulted in a massive undercount of absentee ballots.

WPLG quoted Broward County Mayor Ilene Lieberman as saying the software was not geared to count more than 32,000 votes in a precinct, which led to a massive undercount.

Thus, the station reported that instead of passing by 166,000 votes in Broward County, Amendment 4 passed by 240,000 votes.

Strangely, of the 78,000 votes that surfaced, 74,000 of them wound up in the “yes” camp, said Paul Seago, executive director of Orlando-based No Casinos, Inc.

“That will literally change the outcome of the race,” Seago said of the Broward results. “We’re trying to figure out what we can do and whether we can ask for a recount.”

As the final count moves toward a conclusion, the margin between the two sides is crucial.

Seago said if the “no” votes lose by one-half of one percent or less, state law provides for an automatic recount. The latest tally showed a 1.4 percent difference.

However, the legislative consultant for the Florida Baptist Convention believes the irregularities in Broward County are grounds for a lawsuit challenging the outcome.

“The No Casino folks probably need to file suit immediately because of the admission that the software couldn’t count more than 32,000 votes,” said Bill Bunkley of Tampa.

“Because of the inability of election officials to properly tabulate the results originally, I hope they would be forthcoming about [how] those results were finally tabulated,” he added.

While Seago remained unsure of the political action committee’s next move, he called the overwhelming edge from the missing absentees a statistical anomaly.

“It seems odd at the 13th hour you could find a block of votes that are that varied,” Seago said.

Amendment 4 doesn’t install slots at pari-mutuel facilities in Dade and Broward counties. Instead, it authorizes residents there to pass referendums to do so. Those betting facilities include racetracks and jai lai frontons.

Although the 26-year-old organization has successfully fought casinos since its formation, Seago said gambling interests will settle for slot machines because they generate 70 to 90 percent of overall casino revenues.

Once slots are in South Florida, a couple of years later betting parlors in neighboring Palm Beach County will be clamoring for them, followed by those in central Florida, he said.

“I think you’ll see the hue and cry to have them in other parts of the state will be overwhelming,” Seago said.