>> I OPENED IT, AND I KNEW THAT IT WAS THE WRONG CANDIDATE. >> I RIGHT AWAY SAID OKAY, I
NEED TO CALL THE SUPERVISOR OF
ELECTIONS OFFICE.
>> THAT IS THE FORMER MAYOR OF
COOPER CITY DEBBIE EISINGER
CLAIMING THAT SHE WAS SENT THE
WRONG MAIL-IN BALLOT FOR THE
UPCOMING PRIMARY ON THE LEFT,
RIGHT THERE THE BALLOT SHE
RECEIVED SHOWS CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT 20 BUT SHE SAYS THAT’S
NOT HER DISTRICT.
SHE SAYS ON THE RIGHT IS THE
SAMPLE BALLOT SHE PRINTED OUT,
FROM THE WEBSITE SHOWING WHAT
SHE SAY STION HER CORRECT
DISTRICT WHICH IS DISTRICT 23.
>> SO LET’S FIND OUT WHAT IS
GOING ON HERE.
AND WHO BETTER TO DO THAT THAN
THE BROWARD SUPERVISOR OF
ELECTIONS JOE SCOTT.
HE JOINS US BY ZOOM.
JOE, GOOD MORNING, GREAT TO SEE
YOU.
>> HI.
>> GOOD MORNING MICHAEL, GOOD
MORNING, GLENNA, THANK YOU FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME ON AND
INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE
CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS
PROBLEM IS RESOLVED.
>> OKAY, SO RIGHT THERE I GUESS
YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A
PROBLEM.
SO THAT IS A GOOD STEP.
YOU HAVE GOT THIS SUPERENGAGED
VOTER, SHE KNEW RIGHT AWAY, A
LOT OF PEOPLE WOULDN’T EVEN KNOW
TO LOOK, SO SHE APPARENTLY
RECEIVED THE WRONG MAIL-INBALLOT
WITH THE WRONG CANDIDATES ON IT,
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> RIGHT, SO I WANT TO START OFF
BY MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS
AWARE THAT WE, THIS IS OUR VERY
FIRST ELECTION AFTER THE
REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
SO THE CENSUS THAT TOOK PLACE IN
2020 THEN LEAD TO REDISTRICTING
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF CHANGES
THAT HAD TO TAKE PLACE VERY ARE
ARE, VERY QUICKLY.
WE ARE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR
THOSE VIGILANT VOTERS WHO ARE
TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AND
NOTIFYING US IF THEY SEE
SOMETHING, WE REALLY ENCOURAGE
EVERYBODY TO SAY SOMETHING.
AND IN THIS CASE, THIS VOTER
ABSOLUTELY IS CORRECT.
AND THERE WAS A, THE
REDISTRICTING PROCESS, THERE WAS
A BIT OF AN OVERLAP THAT
AFFECTED A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE
WHERE THE REDISTRICTING TOOK
HOLD AFTER THE VOTE-BY-MAILS
WERE IN PROCESS.
AND IT WAS A-- IT IS SOMETHING
THAT WE TRIED OUR BEST TO
ANTICIPATE, WE TRIED OUR BEST TO
INTERCEPT THOSE DOLLARS THAT,
AND A FEW OF THEM GOT PASSED US
AND GOT OUT.
THERE AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED
THOSE PEOPLE AND ARE WORKING NOW
TO CONTACT THEM AND MAKE SURE
THAT THEY GET THE CORRECT BALLOT
SO THEY ARE ABLE TO VOTE IN THE
PROPER CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION
BECAUSE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
IMPACTED FOR THE MOST PART, THAT
IS THE ONE THAT WAS-- THAT MADE
MAY BE IMPACTED.
>> WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, JOE, IS
JUST THAT, THAT THE MISTAKE ONLY
INVOLVED THE CONGRESSIONAL
ELECTION FOR VOTERS LIKE DEBBIE
EISINGER?
>> NO, SO THAT IS NOT-- SO IT
HAS TO DO WITH THE PRECINCT, TO
MANY OF THE RACES THAT ARE ON
THAT BALLOT ARE COUNTYWIDE.
SO ANYTHING THAT IS COUNTYWIDE
WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED, SO SAY
THE GOVERNOR, YOU KNOW, THE
SENATOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE
JUDGES.
>> THINGS WITH NO PARTICULAR
DISTRICT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT, SO YEAH SO IF THERE IS
NOT A DISTRICT DI VICE-- DIVIDE
WITHIN BROWARD COUNTY IT
WOULDN’T IMPACT THE PARTICULAR
PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED WOULD NOT
HAVE HAPPENED, ONLY HAPPENED IN
SITUATIONS WHERE THE RACE WOULD
HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
>> SO IN THIS CASE, I WANT TO BE
VERY CAREFUL AND NOT GIVE OUT
ANYBODY’S PRIVATE ADDRESSES BUT
I WILL SAY THAT THE FORMER MAYOR
OF COOPER CITY LIVED IN FORT
LAUDERDALE, SHE LIVES IN A
DISTRICT PROBABLY WITH YOU KNOW
A CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IS
WHAT, 700,000 AND SOME ODD
VOTERS, ARE YOU KF DEFNLT THAT
THIS IS THE ONLY PRECINCT OR
ONLY DISTRICT OR WHATEVER
STANDARD YOU REACH S THIS THE
ONLY PLACE WHERE THIS HAS
HAPPENED?
OR DO YOU NOW HAVE TO GO BACK TO
EVERY SINGLE PRECINCT TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE BALLOTS ARE RIGHT?
>> YES, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR T
ACTUALLY DOES NOT IMPACT AN
ENTIRE PRECINCT.
AND THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING
THAT WE’RE VERY THANKFUL FOR,
BECAUSE WHEN WE’RE DEALING WITH
1.2 MILLION AND 31 DIFFERENT
CITIES, ANYTHING THAT MIGHT GO
WRONG SINCE THE IMPACTS
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, THAT’S NOT
THE CASE HERE.
IN THIS CASE WHAT IS ACTUALLY
IMPACTED WERE
INDIVIDUALS-- INDIVIDUAL
STREETS.
SO THE PERSON THAT YOU SPOKE TO,
HER STREET WAS IMPACTED.
SO EVERYBODY WHO LIVES ON THAT
PARTICULAR STREET AND THERE ARE
SEVERAL OTHER STREETS IN BUT ARD
COUNTY THAT HAVE THE EXACT SAME
PROBLEM AT THE EXACT SAME TIME
AND WE ARE AWARE OF EVERY SINGLE
ONE.
SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHO IS
IMPACTED AND WE ARE WORKING HARD
TO CONTACT EACH OF THOSE VOTERS.
AND WE’RE ACTUALLY PLANNING AN
OPERATION THAT INCLUDES US
SETTING UP SHOP ON THOSE STREETS
THAT WERE AFFECTED AND SWAPPING.
WE NEED TO DO A ONE FOR ONE
SWAP.
THE BALLOT YOU RECEIVED IN THE
MAIL WITH THE CORRECTED BALLOT
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL
HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
>> SO IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS YOU
CAN COUNT ON LOCAL TEN NEWS
BEING OUT THERE ON THE STREET
WATCHING FROM A RESPECTFUL
DISTANCE.
WE WON’T BE IN YOUR FACE.
BUT WE WANT TO SEE THE PEOPLE
GET THE CORRECT BALLOT AND I
KNOW YOU DO TOO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL GIVING
ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME ON AND
LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT IS
HAPPENING AND WHAT WE ARE DO
BEING IT.
>> DON’T GO YET, I’M NOT DONE
WITH YOU YET.
>> HOLD ON.
>> SO HERE’S-- I’M JUST GOING TO
THROW OUT THERE.
WE TALK A LOT AND I KNOW, I JUST
WANT TO THROW OUT THERE I THINK
WE’RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT THIS
ELECTION’S DEPARTMENT IS ON TOP
OF THINGS.
AND WORKING VERY HARD TO, AND
REDISTRICTING HAS REALLY THROWN
ALL ELECTIONS DEPARTMENTS FLOO
SORT OF A SPHRAI TO GET
EVERYTHING RIGHT.
SO THAT SAID, WE ARE IN AS YOU
KNOW A VERY SUSPICIOUS CLIMATE
POLITICALLY.
AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE NOW YOU
NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO SORT OF
PREEM TIFFLY STRIKE OUT AGAINST
ANYONE WHO IS GOING TO LOOK FOR
CLAIMS OF FRAUD OR
MISMANAGEMENT.
I DON’T WANT TO BE THE ONE TO
PLANT THAT.
I THINK I’M VERY CONFIDENT TO
SAY THAT THAT IS ALREADY SORT OF
OUT THERE.
AND I WANT YOU AS THE HEAD OF
BROWARD ELECTIONS TO ADDRESS
THAT, IF YOU WOULD.
>> I WOULD.
SOW THE THING I’M MOST WORRIED
ABOUT IS THAT PEOPLE WILL USE
THIS TO ATTACK THE VOTE-BY-MAIL
SYSTEM.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT
AGAIN THIS HAPPENS EVERY TEN
YEARS, WE GO THROUGH
REDISTRICTING.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENS ONCE IN A DECADE, I MEAN
WE WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT WE
CAN TO TRY TO BE ON TOP OF EVERY
POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD GO
WRONG.
WHAT I’M REALLY THANKFUL FOR
HERE IS THAT WE HAVE
VOTE-BY-MAIL BECAUSE
VOTE-BY-MAIL IS THE REASON THAT
WE IDENTIFIED THIS BEFORE EARLY
VOTING.
OTHERWISE WE MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN
THIS PROBLEM UNTIL PEOPLE WERE
VOTING IN PERSON.
AND IT WOULD HAVE BRCH SO MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT WENT WRONG, PUT A FIX
IN PLACE ON A DAY THAT PEOPLE
ARE VOTING IN PERSON.
BECAUSE OF VOTE-BY-MAIL AND
BECAUSE WE SWRAI LITTLE BIT OF
LEAD TIME, WE’RE ABLE TO YOU
KNOW, IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE OF
THE ISSUE.
AND THEN RESOLVE THAT AND MAKE
SURE THAT IT IS COMPLETELY, THAT
EVERYTHING IS GOOD TO GO BEFORE
PEOPLE START TO VOTE IN PERSON.
SO I’M REALLY THANKFUL THAT WE
HAVE VOTE-BY-MAIL AND I DON’T
WANT PEOPLE TO USE THIS AS AN
ATTACK ON VOTE-BY-MAIL.
>> UNDERSTOOD.
AND JOE SCOTT, SUPERVISOR OF
BROWARD ELECTIONS I WANT
EVERYONE TO KNOW I CALLED YOU
THIS MORNING AND POP WERE YOU
THERE TO ANSWER AND BE
TRANSPARENT AND FOR THAT WE ARE