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A String Of Problems From Elections Office

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2008

Since being appointed elections supervisor by former Gov. Jeb Bush in 2003, Buddy Johnson has presided over a number of flawed elections.

August 2004: Final primary results in Hillsborough County are not available until 10 hours after polls close because a computerized counting system fails.

September 2004: It is learned that 245 votes were not counted in the September primary.

October 2004: Early voting in Hillsborough is slowed by computer issues.

Summer 2006: Johnson's efforts to guide the county mayor referendum to a November ballot frustrates the initiative's backers, who fail to gather enough petition signatures.

March 2007: A candidate for city council files a complaint when voters say a polling site was changed and they were not notified. The Justice Dept later upholds the election results after investigating the complaint.

August 2008: Primary election results are delayed due to a software glitch with the new optical scanners. The vendor takes the blame.

Nov. 4, 2008: Human error and issues with voting machines delay general election results for more than a day. Johnson initially stands behind the vendor but later blames them.

Tribune research by MICHAEL MESSANO; Source: Tribune archives

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