Over the weekend, we learned that Florida election officials disqualified approximately 1,400 absentee ballots. Many of these are believed to be from U.S. military personnel working overseas. Florida election law requires all absentee ballots to be properly signed and postmarked. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris reminded election officials to adhere precisely to Florda law. Former Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole (Illustration A at right) spoke out on a number of Sunday talk shows. He criticized the Gore campaign harshly for participating in the disqualification effort.

Montana Governor Mark Racicot, a Republican and Army veteran, also strongly criticized the disqualification process as well as the manual recounts in Broward and Palm Beach counties. "There is something obviously terribly, terribly wrong with what has been occurring," said Racicot. He added, "The man who would be commander-in-chief is fighting to take away the votes from the people that he would command."

Republicans such as Abby Krug (Illustration B at right) point their finger at Gore and his campaign unfairly. Lost in the rhetoric is the fact that the interpretation of Florida election laws came from Harris in the Secretary of State's office. Harris, a Republican, does not have an issue with the U.S. military forces. She is trying to apply the Florida law in a consistent manner. We continue to see Republican pundits and leaders criticize the Gore campaign unfairly.

Both presidential candidates, Al Gore and George W. Bush, want the election process to be applied fairly -- and in accordance with the law. Clinton's Defense Secretary, William Cohen, told reporters, "The last thing we want to do is make it harder for those wearing our uniform and serving overseas to be able to cast a ballot" (see Illustration C at right). Cohen considers himself a Republican. The solution is not to ask the candidates to "make exception" in such cases. We must trust our Constitution.

Illustration D (at right) shows Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris reminding election workers to reject any absentee ballots that do not have proper signatures or which lack a foreign postmark. Harris is doing her job properly -- Florida law requires ballots failing to meet these criteria not be counted.

Actual Palm Beach Florida Ballot

back

© Copyright 2000 Infoimagination