LANTATION, Fla. - Florida's ongoing presidential ballot recount charged ahead in Broward County's hurricane emergency center here yesterday as 160 volunteers dutifully pored over thousands of ballots knowing full well their efforts may have no bearing on the election.
Democrats here still hold out hope that some court will force Florida's secretary of state, Katherine Harris, to accept the fruits of the recount. The Florida Supreme Court's decision yesterday that Palm Beach County could move forward with its hand recount caused a surge of excitement here, though the decision did not touch on whether Harris must include the count in the final state tally.
But Democrats believe this six-day taxpayer-funded recount, and those that could take place in other counties, could have an alternate function: evidence for the history books that George W. Bush's win here, if it holds up, may have been unfairly obtained.
''It's hard for me to believe that George W. Bush would want to have a victory with such a cloud hanging over the process,'' said Chris Sautter, a Washingon-based attorney for Al Gore's campaign who was monitoring the counting process here yesterday.
For most of yesterday, before a recount in Palm Beach County started last night, Broward's effort was a focal point for both parties, at one point grinding to a halt when GOP laywers burst in to subpoena the entire Broward canvassing board. At other times it proceeded with an ironic overlay, as Harris's visage flashed repeatedly on the giant TV screens here, as if to remind officials of the recount's uncertain status. Election officials said the count of Broward's votes will be completed Monday evening.
Broward County is heavily Democratic, and gave Gore 65 percent of its vote. The focus here is the 6,716 undervotes in Broward, ballots which the computer tabulating system recorded as having shown no vote cast for president. As of yesterday afternoon, Gore posted a gain of 21 votes from the recount. Democratic officials here said this figure could be an indication that Gore could net as many as 130 votes here, given that only a sixth of the total votes had been counted. If so, Bush's lead in Florida would be whittled to 170 votes, they said.
Even if Harris announces tomorrow that Bush wins Florida, and consequently the presidency, Democrats feel if they can prove through recounts that Gore had a majority of votes, Bush's victory will be permanently tainted.
Several of the unpaid vote counters interviewed here yesterday said the possibility their work could become a political weapon for Democrats, rather than have electoral import, did not disturb them. ''I just see myself as trying to help the process along. I can't do anything about what happens in the courts,'' said Kevin Carter, a researcher for the Broward County Department of Planning and Environment, one of the county's nonessential employees allowed to count votes. ''I'm here to count objectively. I take it very, very seriously.''
But Jane Carroll, Broward's supervisor of elections and the only one of three election officials here who opposed the recount, noted, ''It could be possible that we are doing this in vain.''
Her colleague on the board, Suzanne Gunzburger, chairwoman of the Broward county commisioners, similarly struggled with the process: ''It will change the outcome. People will demand, um, well I don't know. But it will change the outcome, I know it.''
The role of Harris, a Bush supporter and the center of a political firestorm, weighed heavily on the minds of the canvassing board here. Her decision Wednesday night to reject the results of all Florida recounts was essentially a rejection of this on-again off-again vote count in Broward that the canvassing board has spent 12-hour days trying to complete.
''I will not comment of the secretary of state. Everybody is entitled to their opinions,'' said Gunzburger. ''The only thing that will stop us is if we are ordered by a court to stop.''
The count in Broward is taking place in the Emergency Operations Center just west of Fort Lauderdale, which becomes the seat of government during emergencies.
Yesterday morning, the counters and the 140 partisan monitors who scrutinized them chattered like school kids as a county official explained the ins and outs of chads, undercounts, and overcounts.
All around them swirled television cameras, reporters and a dose of controversy. GOP officials reported yesterday that 78 chads, the tiny square punch-outs from the ballots, had been found on the floor of the vote counting room last night. They claimed it was potential evidence of fraud or at least that ballots were being damaged. The county sherriff seized the chads, and it was not clear if legal action would be taken yesterday.
At about 3 p.m., GOP officials stormed in, cameras in tow, and presented the three canvassing board members with a a lawsuit alleging the recount was illegal in light of Harris's decision Wednesday. The issue will be debated in Broward County court today.
Board members read the court order, chatted with their attorneys, then struck a defiant pose.
''We need to continue,'' said Broward County Judge Robert W. Lee, the panel's third member, holding up a disputed ballot. ''Voter 6M-1. A clear vote for Gore.''
