Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis’ lead over Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum narrowed to just 33,000 votes on Saturday, resulting in a mandated machine recount of ballots. The results are due in Tallahassee on Thursday, and if Gillum gains about 15,000 votes, a hand recount will take place.
On Election Day, Nov. 6, when Gillum was down by about 84,000 votes, he had conceded the race to DeSantis. But that all changed when provisional ballots began being counted last week and DeSantis’ lead dropped below 0.50 percent. So Gillum withdrew his concession, and is on a mission to counteract voter suppression.
At St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Boynton Beach on Monday night, Gillum said every vote must be counted, no matter how long it takes.
“If we don’t swear in a new governor until January, what is the rush for you Count every vote,” he said.
Gillum said Florida Gov. Rick Scott and President Trump are attempting to rush the process.
“They’re claiming voter fraud because Supervisors of Elections are counting votes,” he said.
Trump demanded on Monday that Florida officials shut down the recount, and that the elections be handed to DeSantis and Scott, the Republican candidate for Senate, whose race against incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson is also too close to call.
On Monday, The League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause Florida filed a federal lawsuit to prevent Scott from “using his official powers to influence ballot counting or the certification of results of his hotly contested race for U.S. Senate,” according to Orlando Weekly.
Gillum also said he’s advocating for hundreds of votes from a Miami-Dade County mail processing center, which arrived after deadline, to be counted. There was a delay because the center had been closed due to the arrest of #MAGABomber Cesar Sayoc Jr., whose pipe bomb packages were processed at the facility.
Related Story: Uncounted Ballots Remain in Mail Center That Processed #MAGABomber Weapons: Report
“Regardless of what the outcome of what this race is, we want every single vote in all 67 counties — Republican, Democrat or otherwise — that every single vote be counted,” Gillum said.
He said that votes need to be counted that are still coming in from military members and overseas citizens.
Meanwhile, Trump is telling Florida not to recognize ballots that arrive after Election Day, which includes the votes of U.S. service members stationed overseas.
