Castor, state senators ask officials to look into Hillsborough vote problems

TAMPA -- Congresswoman Kathy Castor has joined two Democratic state senators in asking state and federal officials to look into voting problems in Hillsborough County, where a final tally of votes has not been determined two days after the election.

Castor, D-Tampa, wrote to the U.S. Department of Justice today, saying that Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson "has not met his legal responsibilities."

"It is imperative that all votes are counted accurately and quickly," Castor wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Christopher Coates, chief of the Justice Department's Voting Section. "To that end, I respectfully request you carefully review the situation in Hillsborough County and dispatch personnel to monitor and resolve these critical issues."

Late this afternoon, Justice Department spokesman Scot Montrey told Bay Buzz, "We are aware of and reviewing the situation in Hillsborough County."

Montrey declined to comment further.

Two Democratic state senators asked Gov. Charlie Crist to look into vote counting problems.

Sens. Charlie Justice and Arthenia Joyner wrote to Crist today, saying they were concerned about a number of problems in Hillsborough.

"The time has come for you to take a direct role in resolving the issues regarding election results from the 2008 general elections. Per statute, there is a finite amount of time to get the unofficial results to the state elections office, and we are very concerned that if the situation continues on its current path, many votes will be left unaccounted for," the senators wrote.

In an interview, Crist, who's in St. Petersburg, said he wasn't yet aware of the letter. But he said this: "I certainly understand their concern and I share it ... In most every single county in our state we had a very smooth, good election. I complimented our secretary of state (Kurt Browning) ... I haven't really gone down into the nuts and bolts of what's going on in Hillsborough County other than the fact that the votes have yet to be completed, and it's unfortunate."

Senators cited conflicting accounts from Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson and elections systems vendor Premier Election Systems about the cause of problems that have delayed the counting of about 80,000 early votes. That counting resumed this morning. They also cited insufficient voting booths at some precincts and conflict-of-interest issues, given that Johnson is running for re-election against Phyllis Busansky.

Castor mentioned Election Day problems that included long lines at the University of South Florida, where final votes were cast after 11 p.m. She also said that two precincts at the same location "caused confusion, delays and possible disenfranchisement of voters in a largely African-American area."

Jennifer Liberto, Steve Bousquet and Kevin Graham

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Comments

[Inside the SOE]

Senators Joyner and Justice need to include Pinellas in their request. 376 precincts closed and reported within an hour? It’s simply impossible to do, and it needs to be looked at.

… that is; if you have the stones to confront Mel and Ed.

[Agy]

Let's start a recall of this Election Supervisor. Johnson messess up everytime. If this election was 2004, we would not know who the president elect is. This is an embarrassment. RECALL Buddy Johnson, Governor Crist,when this fiasco is over.That would be the right thing to do if Johnson has been reelected..

[Agy]

I meant 2000, not 2004..oops

[Jasonhouse]

Buddy Johnson MUST GO! If he somehow wins reelection, then we must work to forcibly recall him.

This man is corrupt and incompetent. He spends his time figuring out ways to evade taxes. He uses his department's funds to boost his own image and reelection campaign. He has made our elections a misery to participate in, and our county a state and national disgrace... Worse yet, it appears that somebody with the supervisor of elections office rigged it so that precincts with high odds of voting majority Democrat had a paucity of booths and scanners, while precincts that trend Republican had an abundance of them.

If we can't have truly fair, unbiased and transparent elections, then we are not a democracy, we are a banana republic.

Buddy Johnson MUST GO!

[voxy]

AND DEBORAH CLARK.

First poster is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

That's IMPOSSIBLE.

And that's how people become mayor next.

Yep I throw that in there every single time.

Um because it's true.

[voxy]

jasonhouse you are absolutely right.
This has gone on in tampa FOR YEARS. Not just buddy. Any smooth results were faked and got by because of the enormous, misplaced trust citizens had in past SOE's due to the tampa tribune polishing their images with falsehoods.

It doesn't matter HOW MANY democrats we get elected. In tampa most of the democrats in office are NOT democrats.

TAMPA FLORIDA will remain a banana republic under the rule of the new new yorkers and the good ol boy/italians.

Unless we STOP THEM.

[Kim]

It is not Buddy Johnson fault. You put him in office. I think it is called voting. You put Bush One in office and Bush two in office two times. Look at Pinellas- all republicans, all most, got in office. Life jobs in Pinellas.
Ask Young and Steward.

Coattails; schmoattails… Pinellas did wrap up way to fast. Something is rotten in Denmark.

[TRUE BLUE]

If you folks had any idea what you were talking about it would be helpful. The vote tallies in Pinellas were transmitted from the scan machines over a dedicated phone line from each polling location - usually within a half hour to 45 min. after the polls closed.

Let's see...Jax is done, Miami Dade is done, Orlando is done, Broward is done, Tallahassee and Pensacola are done, Ft. Meyers, Naples...same thing. Sure, Pinellas could not possibly be finished. What do you whiners want? Hillsborough is too slow. Pinellas is too fast. Maybe we should check all the details of these counties that finished on time...might find all those dead voters that put the messiah in...yet didn't overturn the Repubs in any other campaign. That's what smells rotten, although I'm sure the people snowed by Obama were hedging their bets in case they are WRONG.

Jim, you're wrong as usual. Now don't forget to pay for your dinner ticket tonight!

is charlie always in st. pete?

[NoOn2?]

Anyone else see the irony in Charlie Crist voting against gay marriage?

"is charlie always in st. pete?"

Yes; cause he hasn't the first damn clue where his office is!

Chuck Crisp is a freaking moron. 2010 can't come soon enough.

I can see it now Palin/Crist 2012! “Women First!”

They’re both clueless; they’re both useless; they both like the outdoorsy type of man; and they’re both losers!

[Tamparoots]

I was one of those early voters at the West Tampa Library on Union St. I will really be upset if my vote was not counted in a timely manner. I stood in line for over two hours to do my civic duty. Have my constitutional rights been violated by Buddy Johnson?

[Agy]

Jeb Bush removed Broward county Supervisor of elections in 2000. Many many years ago the governor removed jim fair of hillsborough county as S. Of Elections.
John has showed total incompetance. He knew how to put his picture on expensive junk mail sent to voters. Charlie, REMOVE HIM!
HE JUST CONCEDED! HOORAY...NOW RESIGN AND LET A COMPETANT FINISH!

[ENough]

Tell Buddy to go milk cows!

[Ralph]

Pinellas stinks to high heaven. How did Peter Nehr get re-elected? How did Wickle get a seat on the school board with her issues? who is in jail?

[Billy]

Free Wesley!