Wed, Oct. 27, 2004
60,000 mailed ballots missing, Broward elections office says
JEAN-PAUL RENAUD
Knight Ridder Tribune News Service
FORT LAUDERDALE - The Broward County Supervisor of Elections office on Tuesday said it couldn't account for nearly 60,000 missing absentee ballots sent to voters and that its phone lines were being overwhelmed by calls.
Hoping to avoid another embarrassing election, Broward County commissioners Tuesday offered to send county employees to help. Dozens of county employees could begin assisting the elections office as early as today to answer telephone calls and to process voters at the 14 early voting sites.
"What we are seeing is unprecedented so if the supervisor of elections needs our help, we will help," county mayor Ilene Lieberman said.
Just six days away from the general election, the Supervisor of Elections office has fielded hundreds of complaints from people who have yet to receive their absentee ballot. Countless more have been unable to get through to election officials to complain or get their questions answered.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/10023...