Judge delays Fla. voting machine audits

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - A circuit court judge Tuesday temporarily delayed a state audit of touch-screen voting machines used in the contest for the seat Rep. Katherine Harris (news, bio, voting record) gave up to make her failed Senate run.

Sarasota Circuit Judge Deno Economou delayed the audit until both candidates can get their own experts involved in the investigation.

The order does not halt an ongoing recount in the congressional race to replace Harris.

Electronic voting machines in Sarasota County reported 18,382 people — about one in eight voters — did not vote for either Republican Vern Buchanan or Democrat Christine Jennings, but made choices in other races. That rate was much higher than other counties in the district.

After the recount began Monday, Jennings' lawyers asked a judge to order Sarasota County's voting machines secured in case the recount does not clarify the high number of skipped votes, or undervotes.

Lawyers for both candidates told the judge Tuesday at an emergency hearing that they wanted their own experts on hand to participate with an audit team sent to Sarasota by Florida Secretary of State Sue Cobb. The team had expected to begin testing machines on Wednesday.

The reason for the large undervote remains unclear. Official speculation ranges from widespread voter disgust to a computer glitch. Voters may also have overlooked the congressional ballot which was on a different screen from the other national race.

Buchanan currently leads Jennings by only 377 votes — about 0.2 percent. The recount continued Tuesday, but all parties are due back in court Thursday to set a new timetable for the audit.

Both candidates are in Washington for congressional orientation this week.

In the electronic recount, Sarasota elections supervisor Kathy Dent expected it to be finished late Tuesday. But she expected other recount activities to continue right up to Saturday's state-mandated results deadline. The recount involves precincts in five counties.

The race is for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, who rose to national attention during Florida's 2000 recount that put the governor's brother, George W. Bush, in the White House. Harris, a Republican, was the secretary of state at the time, and ultimately certified Bush the winner.