TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — If the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson and Florida Gov. Rick Scott requires a recount, there is little worry about it being a repeat of the 2000 presidential debacle.
This time there won't be any hanging chads and the process is likely to take days, not a month. The ballots use filled-in bubbles.
The race was too close to call, and Scott's lead as of Wednesday evening was about 30,000 votes out of more than 8.1 million cast — a margin of less than one half of 1 percent.
Under state law in Florida, a recount is mandatory if the winning candidate's margin is 0.5 percentage points or less. That will be determined this weekend after the canvassing boards in each of Florida's 67 counties certify their returns.
The recount, if ordered, would likely begin Monday.
