I do not know what the differential margin of error is.I know that their local law states that the defeated candidate, with good reason (such as taking a sample of 1% and showing that extension of this sample will materially change the results) can ask for a manual recount. Not unique to Florida by any stretch, since Gov. Bush signed few years back a similar (and even more liberal) law in Florida.
The latest count is of ballots for which the machine registered no vote for President, and probably because the voter, for whatever reason, did not fully made his vote "machine readable". I observed the count in Browar, on MSNBC for about an hour, and frankly, I was surprised at Montana's Governor, sitting as an observer at the table, agreeing with each vote when finally cast, but then he appeared outside talking about the process as "flawed" and "partisan", that was a very interesting joke. There are so many eyes there on each vote, that the chance for error is really extremely minimal. These ballots are of people that made a major effort to vote. The fact that these did not register strongly enough for the machine ro read, indicates to me that these must have been from some of the older people out there, in their late seventies to ..., this happen to be the age brackets of WWII veterans, I would say that they have the same rights as current serving military.
Finally, while I do not want to get into an argument "who is better or worse", the scene that was presented on MSNBC from the Miami-Dade county "riots" differed a lot from the Jessie Jackson demonstration (If I remember correctly, JJ was shouted down and could not even address his crowd), the Miami-Dade episode, was just outside the counting room, creating, IMHO, severe pressure and intimidation, JJ's "riots", where outside, in the open (and opposition was quite present and effective as well). The part resembling the brown shirts is that which is related to intimidation. The part that was getting "close" (but no cigar) to Kristal Nacht, was the pounding on doors and windows (none broken that I could see, and thus quite short of Krisatl Nacht). They achieved their goal, (stopping the legal count of votes that machines did not count) and stopped before breaking windows.
As for the "rules", they were fixed before the election, it stated "determine the voter's intention", each board uses its discretion, and from observing the Browar count, there is rarely a case in which the Republican Judge and Democratic Judge disagree. The lady commisioner, sometimes get "over zealous", but so far, in such cases, I have seen Lee (a Democrat) voting with the Republican against her. I saw very few disagreements. Considering that five TV network continuously monitor the process and there is a gallery of observers from both sides, anyone claiming that the process is fraudulant or "flawed", is, IMHO, nothing but a demagogue. As Americans, we should be quite honored that such a critical and close call is carried out in such an orderly manner inside that room.
Zeev |
