DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - A machine recount for Florida’s hotly contested District 27 is set to get underway on Monday, following nearly a week of controversy.
Just a little over 1,000 votes separates María Elvira Salazar and Eliott Rodriguez in their race for the congressional seat.
The recount is allowed, as the vote margin falls within Florida’s 0.50 threshold, according to Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia.
The recount is set to take place nearly one week after Election Day, under the shadow of a federal lawsuit filed by Rodriguez. The Democratic challenger claims alleged “suspicious, questionable and potentially unlawful activity involving the processing of ballots in the FL-27 Congressional election.”
The lawsuit points out that Supervisor of Elections Garcia told the Miami Herald on election night that “María Elvira is the winner, with or without a recount.”
In addition, Rodriguez’s campaign said, Garcia’s son-in-law represents Salazar in the recount process, and her daughter works for the same law firm.
Rodriguez has demanded Garcia recuse herself from the recount process.
However, Garcia responded: “There’s no reason why I need to recuse myself, so I’m not going to.”
The Salazar campaign said they believe the process of the upcoming recount is transparent and open.
“There is no legal basis, it is absolutely meritless,” said Salazar’s attorney, Robert Fernández. “There is no conflict of interest, and we’ll be dealing with that in court.”
Rodriguez’s attorney, J.C. Planas, argues otherwise.
“If the relative of a judge walked in to court as one of the attorneys for one of the sides, the judge would immediately recuse themselves,” said Planas. “In fact, it would probably be sanctionable by the Judicial Qualifying Commission.”
“This isn’t a judicial hearing, and I’m not the one counting the votes,” Garcia said. “It’s just getting ballots ready so we can put them into the machines.”
The Rodriguez campaign says it’s not prejudging the reports, but is asking, “If you know something, please come forward. The voters deserve the truth.”
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