Is Judicial Election a Preview of Things to Come?

Brian W. Smith

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As a resident of Palm Beach County, Florida, I can't help but be embarrassed by the developments in the recent judicial race in our county. With the presidential election right around the corner, one has to be concerned that Palm Beach County is incapable of handling the mechanics of an election.

After four weeks, three recounts and thousands of lost and found ballots, Palm Beach County elections officials on Tuesday certified that attorney William Abramson defeated veteran Circuit Judge Richard Wennet by 61 votes. An attorney for the incumbent judge has asked the local canvassing board not to certify the results

"I have no confidence whatsoever in the machines and how these vote totals have changed from moment to moment," said attorney Gerald Richman. "The process is fraught with both machine error and human error."

A county official has stated that the problem was human error and not a machine related issue. Apparently, workers inadvertently put the ballots in the wrong boxes instead of setting them aside to be counted by hand. Neverless, all machines are to be checked for accuracy before the presidential election.

Following the "hanging chad" controversy in the 2000 general election, this latest election mess does not bode well for the upcoming presidential election. With the race between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama considered by many to be a statistical dead heat, Florida could once again become the focal point of a very close race. Let's hope we get it right this time!