The midterms aren't over yet. The closely fought race for Florida governor looks headed for a recount as the difference in votes between the two candidates has fallen to less than half a percent.
As of Thursday afternoon, former Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis is up just 0.4 percentage points - that's 36,234 votes out of more than 8 million votes cast - over Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.
🚨 Florida Governor’s race for the FIRST TIME is heading to a recount DeSantis 49.62% Gillum: 49.15% Margin: 0.47%… https://t.co/aVAnZ6t1Kn— Marc Caputo (@Marc Caputo) 1541704297.0
On Wednesday evening, with tens of thousands of ballots still uncounted, Gillum said he was "looking forward to seeing every vote counted.”
DeSantis had been declared the winner of the race Tuesday night. Gillum, who is looking to be the first black governor of the Sunshine State, conceded the election to DeSantis after the race was called.
Under Florida law, however, any margin of less than 0.5 percent triggers an automatic recount. The Gillum campaign on Thursday reportedly told April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks that DeSantis's lead had dropped to less than 15,000 votes.
Gillum urged Florida voters Thursday afternoon to make sure their provisional ballots were properly cast and submitted.
"Every voice must be heard in this race!" Gillum wrote on Twitter. "If you voted a provisional ballot, make sure your vote gets counted by contacting your County Supervisor of Elections by 5 PM TODAY."
Every voice must be heard in this race! If you voted a provisional ballot, make sure your vote gets counted by cont… https://t.co/pNIKg8FM2O— Andrew Gillum (@Andrew Gillum) 1541701909.0
People did just that.
@SpanglishGuiri @AndrewGillum What do i say when i call? Im from broward too— Ade 🇸🇻 (@Ade 🇸🇻) 1541702169.0
@SpanglishGuiri @AndrewGillum Okay thanks! My vote was counted.— Ade 🇸🇻 (@Ade 🇸🇻) 1541702731.0
@AndrewGillum I called Miami-Dade Elections Headquarters today, they said their website crashed because of everyone… https://t.co/5fG39cNFYu— LAC (@LAC) 1541703656.0
The following tweets can help if you live in Florida and need to secure your vote.
@AndrewGillum If you forgot to sign your absentee ballot, you have until 5pm today to do so. #Florida #MiamiDade… https://t.co/UnrsdLT41x— LAC (@LAC) 1541704068.0
@AndrewGillum Provisional ballot cure instructions: https://t.co/oFhKZ36OlY— Lisa Is Preparing For 2020 ✊🍺 (@Lisa Is Preparing For 2020 ✊🍺) 1541702434.0
There is still hope down there in Florida.
@AndrewGillum https://t.co/rblCJ7tLMG— Chris-FL (@Chris-FL) 1541702310.0
@TrialLawyerRich @AndrewGillum @rychemom Broward & Palm counties STILL haven’t counted mail in, provisional or over… https://t.co/ClnVHdETat— Kate (@Kate) 1541705522.0
@AndrewGillum Please say you are still in it until every vote is counted!— Mandy MacLeod (@Mandy MacLeod) 1541702027.0
@AndrewGillum HE GOT HIS MANDATORY RECOUNT! 0.47% DIFFERENCE!! #BringItHome https://t.co/33DZRW7b8z— Jesi Williams (@Jesi Williams) 1541704277.0
Florida's Senate race was also close enough to cross into recount territory.
As of Thursday afternoon, incumbent Senator Bill Nelson (D) trailed outgoing governor Rick Scott (R) by only 0.21 percent, or a little more than 17,000 votes.
BREAKING: The Florida Senate election has further narrowed. Bill Nelson now trails by only 17,333 or .21%. It is n… https://t.co/8l3rZkIVmT— Marc E. Elias (@Marc E. Elias) 1541704423.0
This year's nailbiter in Florida is reminding people of the 2000 presidential election.
Just 537 votes in Florida made enough of a difference for George W. Bush to claim the presidency.
@nytimes I read the words "manual recount" and "Florida" and had a terrible flash back...— Jamal Alexis Downer (@Jamal Alexis Downer) 1541707597.0
Here we are. Two days after Election Day and a Broward County cloud lingers over Florida. Senate race in recount,… https://t.co/jSr43YpI9h— Matt Dixon (@Matt Dixon) 1541700585.0
@nytimes Wasn't Florida where we had the chad problem with a recount - get it together Florida— Fern O'Hare (@Fern O'Hare) 1541709502.0
Broward and Palm Beach Counties, which are heavily Democratic, became infamous for their bizarre ballots, shady vote counting practices, and slow return processing times.
@Mdixon55 @politico There is something terribly wrong with Broward county. They are incompetent or crooked. They… https://t.co/HpV4sHQggo— Bob Nakai (@Bob Nakai) 1541702732.0
@CarlynnCapps Hello you can read it here: Thread by @Mdixon55: "Here we are. Two days after Election Day and a Brow… https://t.co/fsxfpduM1P— Thread Reader App (@Thread Reader App) 1541702689.0
@Mdixon55 @politico Hanging chads? Never will forget that.— Pam Lanzotti (@Pam Lanzotti) 1541704512.0
@Mdixon55 Wasn't the epicenter of the 2000 recount Palm Beach Co, not Broward?— Sara Clements (@Sara Clements) 1541702579.0
@SaraSClements @Mdixon55 Broward was a close second, but you’re right to say Palm Beach was the worst of it— Carolyn Egan (@Carolyn Egan) 1541703358.0
"Results from Broward so far indicate that nearly 25,000 people cast votes for governor but not for senator, even though the Senate race came first on the ballot."
“I think we had over 58 percent of our voters voted, and each voter received a ballot package of either five or six pages,” said Dr. Brenda Snipes, Broward County elections supervisor. “It’s volume that causes this.”
Once the initial vote totals are submitted on Saturday, a machine recount must be completed by 3 P.M. on 11/15. If the margin is within 0.25 percent, a manual recount will take place. "In those races of what are known as undervotes and overvotes; the recounts would have to be completed by Nov. 18," the Times said.
The paper explains the difference: "Undervotes are ballots on which optical-scanning machines detected a vote for another race down the ballot, like governor or attorney general, but no selection for Senate. Overvotes are ballots on which scanners detected that the voter had marked more than one choice in the race."
It's no wonder people are having flashbacks of 2000.