Less than 24 hours since his last suit was filed, Bill Nelson is suing Bay County again. The incumbent candidate for U.S. Senate, who has filed three other lawsuits in the past week, is suing Bay County Supervisor of Elections Mark Andersen to stop any ballots received via email or fax from being counted. The second round of unofficial returns is due from the counties at 3 p.m. Thursday. The supervisor told the Herald/Times Monday that 11 ballots were accepted by email and 147 ballots were domestically faxed in, though state statute does not allow emailed ballots, and faxing in ballots is only permitted for military and voters overseas. Andersen was not aware that a lawsuit had been filed until he received a call from a reporter Thursday inquiring about the filing.
“They seem to just come up with the reasons, go a different direction and then surprise whoever they’re doing it to,” Andersen said. “I have no comment.”
On Wednesday, Nelson sued Andersen for copies of vote-by-mail ballots received via email or fax. Andersen was not aware of that lawsuit, either, until a reporter called.
Earlier this week, Nelson and the Democratic Executive Committee sued Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner twice — once asking for an immediate injunction to force the state to count all mail-in and provisional ballots that are deemed to have a signature mismatch and the other to extend the deadlines for machine and manual recounts so that all 67 counties in the state can finish them on time.
Full Article: Bill Nelson sues to block fax, email votes from Bay County FL | Miami Herald.