Government
Recount day: McDow’s 289-vote lead goes back through the machines
The state ordered a machine recount in House District 33. Brevard’s canvassing board starts Tuesday at 9 a.m. in Melbourne, with Cape Canaveral’s council race on the same agenda.
Democrat Daniel R. McDow’s 289-vote lead over Republican Rep. Monique Miller goes back through the tabulators Tuesday morning, after the Florida Department of State ordered a machine recount in House District 33.
Brevard’s Canvassing Board meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Election Support Center, 525 N. John Rodes Blvd., Melbourne, to machine-recount both House District 33 and the Cape Canaveral City Council race, according to a Supervisor of Elections notice dated Saturday. The meetings are open to the public.
Where the count stands
The county’s first unofficial results, last updated at 3:00:32 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, show McDow with 36,430 votes (50.20%) and Miller with 36,141 (49.80%), with all 33 precincts reporting. They include provisional ballots and mail ballots eligible to be cured, but not 10-day overseas ballots.
The 289-vote gap is 0.398% of the 72,571 votes for the two candidates: under the 0.5% line for a machine recount, and above the 0.25% line for a manual recount.
What happens next
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 9 a.m.: machine recounts of both races.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 9 a.m., continuing Thursday if necessary: a manual recount, but only if a race’s margin after the machine recount is 0.25% or less (about 181 votes in House District 33).
Thursday, Nov. 12, 3 p.m.: second unofficial returns due to the state.
Friday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.: Brevard reviews the 10-day count of overseas mail ballots and certifies official county results.
Monday, Nov. 16, noon: official county returns due to the state.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 8 a.m.: the state Elections Canvassing Commission certifies results.
A manual recount covers only overvotes and undervotes, the ballots the machines read as having too many or no votes in the race, not a hand count of every ballot.
Who ordered which recount
State law makes the secretary of state responsible for ordering recounts in state races such as House District 33, and the county or local canvassing board responsible for other races, including Cape Canaveral’s council seat. A recount can be skipped only if the trailing candidate asks in writing; no such request has been reported.
Cape Canaveral: 17 votes for the third seat
In the vote-for-three Cape Canaveral City Council race, Kay Jackson has 2,076 votes and Don Willis 1,975. Dan Coon leads Brad Pervell 1,458 to 1,441 for the third seat, a 17-vote gap. Andrea King has 1,272.
All results remain unofficial until certification.
Based on Brevard Supervisor of Elections results and notices, Florida Statutes and Florida’s Voice, citing the Department of State. 321 Daily did not seek comment for this story.
