Razor thin Florida results could force recount

12

The tight margin predicted in Florida is proving to be true.

Republican Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama were within one percentage point of each other in the state, according to election results. If the margin continues to be razor thin, Florida officials could be forced into an automatic recount.

Florida law has an automatic recount trigger if the margin is within 0.5 percent of the vote. Colorado has a similar trigger if the margin falls within 0.5 percent of the total vote.

Politico was reporting that some voters in Miami were waiting six hours to cast their vote.

“This is mayhem,” Carla Batlle of Miami told Politico. “It’s a debacle. This is unorganized, unprofessional.”

Batlle said she got into line at 1:10 p.m. and didn’t cast her vote until nearly 7 p.m.

Most political pundits believe Florida is a critical state to ensure Romney’s path to the necessary 270 electoral votes. Those pundits believe an Obama victory in Florida could complicate Romney’s chances to win.

Both candidates have campaigned heavily in the state in the hopes of securing its 29 electoral votes.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that the presidential contest has hung in the balance of the Sunshine State.

George W. Bush and Al Gore tangled over Florida during the 2000 election for weeks before the race was finally settled in court.