WASHINGTON — Once again, Florida is embroiled in a dispute over vote counting in the presidential election.
Seven years after Democrats lost a fight over recounting Florida votes in the disputed 2000 election, the national Democratic Party is poised to strip the state of delegate votes in the 2008 nomination battle. The problem: State Democrats want to hold their primary too early.
Other states are rushing to get to the start of the primaries pack, too, and Florida will be the first test of the Democratic National Committee’s resolve to restore order to the schedule it set last year. Michigan and New Hampshire also are considering whether to move up their voting in violation of the party rules.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee meets today and will announce sanctions for Florida, members of the committee said. Several party officials said they want to take a tough stand against Florida to send a message to other states.
The shifting dates have left the party’s presidential candidates in limbo about where they should be campaigning, with the first votes to be cast in less than five months.
The DNC has threatened to penalize candidates who campaign in states that violate the rules, and other candidates are waiting to see how the dispute shakes out.
Party rules say states cannot hold their primary contests before Feb. 5, except for Iowa on Jan. 14, Nevada on Jan. 19, New Hampshire on Jan. 22 and South Carolina on Jan. 29. Florida ignored that calendar and passed a law setting its date for Jan. 29.
The rules state that a violation of the calendar triggers sanctions — the Democratic congressional delegation and DNC members from Florida will lose their votes for the nominee at next year’s convention in Denver. And the Rules and Bylaws Committee will decide whether to strip Florida of anywhere from half to all of it 185 other delegates to the convention.
The state party would have 30 days to change its plan before the sanctions would go into effect, but instead Florida’s Democratic lawmakers say they will fight back. Sen. Bill Nelson said Friday that he’ll lead the delegates to Denver whether or not the DNC plans to let them in.
“We are quite concerned that Florida Democrats are going to lose their right to vote,” Nelson said. “And of all states, we have the sensitivity of this because of what we have gone through.”
Florida is among 31 states that will present their voting plans today, but it’s the only one that is expected to be found violating the party rules, DNC officials said.
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