Florida Releases Unofficial Recount

— -- Florida’s secretary of state today released unofficial results from recounts in 53 of the state?s 67 counties, showing George W. Bush still slightly leading Al Gore in votes to win the state and the presidency.

ABCNEWS.comNov. 9

— Florida’s Secretary of State today released unofficial results from recounts in 53 of the state’s 67 counties, showing Bush still slightly leading Gore in votes to win the state and the presidency.

But Secretary of State Katherine Harris said her department was still waiting on results from 14 counties, expected to be received by Tuesday.

Also, overseas absentee ballots still need to be counted to conclude Florida’s final tally.

As of 5 p.m. today, she said, an unofficial tally put Bush ahead by 1,784 votes, or 2,999,661 to Gore’s 2,907,877.

Campaigns Trade Accusations

Campaign officials for George W. Bush say the Democrats are “politicizing and distorting these events” as they question possible irregularities in Florida’s presidential voting Tuesday.

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Bush’s campaign chairman, Don Evans, rejected arguments that Florida vote again because of alleged irregularities, such as concerns a balloting in Palm Beach County may have confused voters.

“Our democratic process calls for a vote on Election Day; it does not callfor us to continue voting until someone likes the outcome,” he said.

Gore’s campaign chairman says the vice president should be awarded Florida and the presidency, even as officials in the Sunshine State continue with a recount of nearly 6 million ballots cast, Nov. 7.

“If the will of the people is to prevail, Al Gore should be awarded a victory in Florida and be our next president,” Bill Daley told reporters in Tallahassee, Fla. this afternoon.

The Gore camp is demanding a new recount of ballots — by hand — in four counties, including Palm Beach.

And it said party officials would support legal challenges contesting the validity of allegedly misleading ballots in Palm Beach.

More than 19,000 ballots were declared void in Palm Beach for having more than one presidential candidate marked. Additionally, Democrats say the layout of the ballot caused many voters who thought they were voting for Gore to cast ballots for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan.