Election So Smooth, Michael Moore Packs Up, Leaves

 

1 hour, 35 minutes ago Local - WPLG Click10.com

 

 

 

In what Gov. Jeb Bush interpreted as a positive comment on a smooth Election Day, filmmaker Michael Moore, in South Florida on the lookout for election problems, packed up his crew and headed to Ohio Tuesday afternoon.

 

 

The turnout for voting was being called "amazing" by some of those manning the polls in South Florida.

 

 

In Broward County, the number of people who voted Tuesday is expected to exceed the 66 percent who voted in the 2000, perhaps by a large amount. In Broward County, 96,000 cast absentee ballots, while another 172,000 voted early.

 

 

In some locations, there were still lines at polling places, but at most precincts the wait was less than a half an hour by noon, with some locations having no wait at all.

 

 

Gov. Bush said there were rumors of a few problems, but as of late afternoon, he said, "So far, so good."

 

 

Miami-Dade County

 

 

Miami-Dade County election officials said they "couldn't be happier" about the way that the voting process went all day.

 

 

Voters turned out in record numbers, with as many as 72 percent of Miami-Dade voters casting a ballot. That in addition to 91,000 who cast absentee ballots, and 244,000 who voted early.

 

 

Officials reminded voters who waited till the end of the day that anyone in line at 7 p.m. at a polling place would be allowed to vote, no matter how long the line is. That proved to extend the voting day for hours at one Coral Gables precincts. Dozens of voters, most of them University of Miami students, made it into the line before 7 p.m. But the precinct has only five voting machines, so more than four hours later, many voters were still waiting.

 

 

Broward County

 

 

In Broward County -- infamous for its problems in 2000 -- all 777 precincts opened on time, and overall, few problems were reported. In Fort Lauderdale, a canvassing board was reviewing some absentee ballots, but so far, reported no discrepancies.

 

 

There were some voting machines that reportedly malfunctioned, but they were taken out of service, and officials said all the votes cast on the machines were restored.

 

 

The success of the election was attributed, in part, to many volunteer poll watchers who kept an eye on the process.

 

 

In one case, some voters in Fort Lauderdale didn't know their precinct had moved, but early this afternoon, a group called "Election Protection" helped straighten out the mess.

 

 

The team of volunteers, working with the NAACP, quickly rushed to the old precinct and posted signs directing voters to the new location.

 

 

"Had we not been there they wouldn't have found out about it," Valery Lyman, with Election Protection, said, "But the thing is, we didn't get there until 1 p.m. and didn't resolve the problem until 2 p.m. -- but the polls opened at 7 a.m. That means all the votes between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. from that station either had to find it themselves or be disenfranchised for the day, and that's a problem."

 

 

Nearly 600 volunteers work with Election Protection, and they reported any problems to a team of attorneys on hand to be sure every vote is counted.

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