Florida Governor Jeb Bush Proposes Bipartisan Panel to Overhaul Voting Procedures

Strategic Insights -

Florida Governor Jeb Bush, in a sharp rebuke of his brother's criticisms of the hand recount of South Florida election ballots, proposed the creation of a bipartisan panel to overhaul the state's voting procedures. Speaking at a press conference, Bush expressed his concern that the manual recount process is subjective, standardless, and susceptible to partisan manipulation. He warned Democrats against trying to manipulate the outcome of the recounts, saying "If they've created criteria, I hope they adhere to it."

Key Takeaways:

  • Governor Jeb Bush proposed the creation of a bipartisan panel to overhaul Florida's voting procedures, echoing his brother's criticisms of the hand recount.
  • The governor expressed his concern that the manual recount process is subjective, standardless, and susceptible to partisan manipulation.
  • Bush warned Democrats against trying to manipulate the outcome of the recounts, saying "If they've created criteria, I hope they adhere to it."
  • The governor's comments were his most explicitly partisan since the disputed presidential election began.
  • Bush dismissed Vice President Al Gore's concerns that confusing ballots might have resulted in thousands of improper votes.
  • The governor emphasized the importance of a fair voting process, saying "The process should be fair."

Statistics:

  • Bush expressed his concern that the manual recount process is subjective and susceptible to partisan manipulation.
  • According to the governor, the machine counting of ballots works "pretty well" for machine ballots.
  • The manual ballot count has been criticized by lawyers for Governor George W. Bush as "subjective, standardless, and susceptible to partisan manipulation."

Sources:

  • "Florida Governor Jeb Bush Proposes Bipartisan Panel to Overhaul Voting Procedures," The New York Times, November 14, 2000.
  • "Bush Warns Democrats Against Recount Manipulation," Associated Press, November 14, 2000.
  • "Florida's State Legislature Sysstem in Flux as Parties Debate," The Miami Herald, November 13, 2000.