Florida District 27: Recount Ordered Amid Federal Suit Over Election Oversight
A 1,090-vote lead for Maria Elvira Salazar triggers a mandatory recount while Eliott Rodriguez's team challenges the impartiality of the Miami-Dade elections supervisor in federal court.
By Austin Reed ·
The Miami-Dade Canvassing Board finalized its count on Friday morning, showing Maria Elvira Salazar leading Eliott Rodriguez by 1,090 votes. This narrow margin triggers a mandatory recount under Florida law, which mandates the procedure when the final difference is one-half of one percent or less. The Florida secretary of state has ordered the recount, a process that could begin as early as Monday or Tuesday morning.
The recount is already entangled in legal disputes. Rodriguez's campaign filed a federal lawsuit seeking to remove Miami-Dade elections supervisor Alina Garcia from the canvassing board. JC Planas, an attorney for Rodriguez, argued that voters require impartiality in the vote-counting process. He stated, "Voters deserve impartiality in how their votes are counted, and that's why the decision was made to go to federal court."
The complaint cites Garcia's political connections and public statements as evidence of bias. Planas noted that Garcia told the press on Tuesday that a recount was unnecessary because Salazar was going to win anyway. Social media posts shared by Garcia and Salazar further complicate the perception of independence, with Garcia describing Salazar as a "dear friend of many years" in one caption.
Garcia’s office rejected the call for recusal, asserting that no statutory conflict exists. Garcia told NBC6 she will remain on the board, saying, "Statutorily there is no reason why I need for me to recuse myself, so I’m not going to." She added that while some view the situation as a partisan division, she does not fit that mold.
Salazar responded to the legal challenge by accusing Rodriguez of behaving like an election denier. She described the current process as a political circus but welcomed the recount. Planas emphasized the stakes of the upcoming count, noting that the canvassing board will determine how marks are made on ballots. He argued that this determination requires the utmost objectivity and a complete lack of partisanship.
The legal and procedural battles will run parallel to the physical recount. The outcome depends on how the board interprets specific ballot marks, a task Planas says demands strict neutrality. The process is set to begin within the next two days, following the Friday final count.
