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Palm Beach Judicial Candidate Sues To Win Election

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The Associated Press

Published: September 10, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH - A candidate for a Palm Beach County judicial race who was ahead by 17 votes on Election Night but lost in a recount where ballots went missing is suing to be declared the winner.

William Abramson was leading incumbent Circuit Judge Richard Wennet after an initial count of 102,523 ballots. That triggered a recount, which turned up some 3,500 fewer ballots. It also put Wennet ahead by 60 votes.

Election officials conducted a massive search Friday, although nearly 1,000 ballots were found before it began. The state election canvassing commission refused to certify the results, leaving the contest in limbo.

Abramson filed suit in Tallahassee on Monday, conjuring memories of the 2000 presidential election, during which Palm Beach County's butterfly ballot was blamed for people mistakenly voting for third-party candidate Pat Buchanan instead of Democrat Al Gore.

In the days following that election, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to stop a ballot recount, resulting in George W. Bush's 537-vote Florida victory over Gore.

One of Abramson's attorneys, Mark Herron, represented Gore in the dispute eight years ago.

Abramson is suing Wennet, the state election canvassing commission, Secretary of State Kurt Browning, the state Division of Elections, the Palm Beach County canvassing board and county Elections Supervisor Arthur Anderson.

Neither Abramson nor his attorney responded to phone messages left at their offices.

Wennet's attorney, Gerald Richman, held a press conference Tuesday asking for Gov. Charlie Crist to get involved by authorizing a special election.

Richman says a revote can be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot, but Crist must OK it before Thursday because ballots must be printed.

"We're publicly urging the governor to do this," said Richman, who called Abramson's lawsuit frivolous.

The election was the first in Palm Beach and 14 other counties since the state outlawed touch-screen voting machines.

Officials initially had turned to touch-screen equipment in response to problems with punch-card ballots in Florida's notorious 2000 presidential election recount. The electronic machines were also scrapped after critics complained the all-electronic ballot left no paper trail for recounts in close races.

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