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BREAKING: The head of Duval County's vote-counting board has donated to Trump 12 times and has six Trump signs up at his home, despite rules barring him from doing so. https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/29/election-2020-duval-canvassing-board-head-donated-trump-12-times-brent-shore-county-florida-vote/6066521002/
I’m back at the canvassing board where I hope Judge Shore will answer questions. He wouldn’t yesterday.
No canvassing board meeting today, but lawyers for the Duval Democrats and a lawyer for Trump’s campaign are inspecting ballots this morning.
Incoming state Rep. Angie Nixon is calling for the resignation of Shore. https://twitter.com/AngieNixon/status/1321824487923503105
Northside Coalition, a civil-rights group in Jacksonville, joins in. "Judge Shore has misused and abused his office, his position and his authority."
Elections Supervisor Mike Hogan, who gave me a no comment, emailed this to a voter, saying he talked to the chief judge who has the authority to choose the head of the canvassing board. https://twitter.com/TheEmilyPlace/status/1321842636160905219
It's worth noting that Hogan and Chief Judge Mark Mahon were roommates in Tallahassee when they were both Republican state representatives.
When Elections Supervisor Hogan ran for mayor in 2011, Republican donors banded together to support the Democrat, Alvin Brown, for fear Hogan was too conservative.
At one point, Hogan joked about bombing abortion clinics. https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20110221/NEWS/801256786 https://twitter.com/NateMonroeTU/status/1321845761534054403
At one point, Hogan joked about bombing abortion clinics. https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20110221/NEWS/801256786 https://twitter.com/NateMonroeTU/status/1321845761534054403
UPDATE: City Councilman Michael Boylan, one of 3 board members, says it would be appropriate for Shore to step down. “It was made very clear to us in taking on the role & responsibility of the canvassing hoard we should avoid any appearance or actual support for any individual.”
Boylan adds, “I did not witness any experience whereby his perspective on a given challenged ballot was noticeable in terms of a preference or dereliction for a party. There were very few that even spoke to the presidential election in this process.”
“Judge Shore, I think, whatever steps the administrative judge takes to recuse himself from the process is totally appropriate for the credibility of the process.”
BREAKING: Judge Shore has resigned from the Duval County Canvassing Board following my reporting that he donated to Trump 12 times. More TK soon. https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/29/duval-county-vote-counting-board-member-calls-resignation-chairman-trump/6071984002/
While Shore resigned from the board, he has not resigned as a county judge, and as of now, there are no announced plans for the board to end its ban on photography or to re-do the work it has done the last few weeks. Duval Dems planning a conference later https://twitter.com/AngieNixon/status/1321881195580448769
New: City Council President Tommy Hazouri along with Council Members Garrett Dennis & Brenda Priestly Jackson call for the board to re-do its past work and end the ban on photography.
"Few things are more fundamental than our Jacksonville neighbors’ right to vote."
"Few things are more fundamental than our Jacksonville neighbors’ right to vote."
I'm now going to a separate news conference at the Duval Elections Supervisor's downtown office with other electeds/activists.
State Rep.-elect @AngieNixon speaking. Rep Tracie Davis, former #2 at the elections office, is on her way as is City Councilman Garrett Dennis.
Rev. Gundy prays and asks for forgiveness of sins for everyone, including Judge Shore and Supervisor Hogan.
Bonnie Hendrix: it is unconscionable that the board has prohibited access to the public and the media.
Hendrix: their deliberate effort to block transparency along with this most recent revelation of Judge Shore calls into question the validity of the board.
She’s calling for them to allow photography, videotaping and microphones near the board, something the media has also been calling for.
Moné Holder with New Florida Majority: “Duval County is a key county in florida and we must ensure every vote is counted. The resignation of Judge Shore is not enough. We demand that transparency is restored.” She’s reading language from caselaw saying boards cant bar photography
Elder Lee Harris with the AME says that Hogan placed blame of lack of transparency on Judge Flower. He says this is similar to 2000.
Harris: “here we go again with the same thing. We are to be vigilant in protecting voters from bias, suppression and partisan gain. We believe all rejected ballots should be reviewed and recounted.” Wants Shore off the bench and board to re-do past decisions.
Rev. R.L. Gundy: “we want them recounted, every one of them. … everything they’re doing is subjective.”
Gundy: if they don’t want to redo signature mismatches then they should just accept all the ballots as valid.
Gundy points to the vote-by-mail rejection rate disparities by race, something we’ve reported recently. “It’s conniving. It’s incompetence.” Gundy calls for an investigation. “We all have the right to go to the polls.”
Rep-elect Nixon: “a democracy works best when everyone can participate in it.” That means not only voting but being able to review how votes are counted.
Nixon urging the public to get out the vote. “We want this to really urge people to get motivated to get out and vote. No more mail-in ballots. Just go in and vote early. Join me at the Legends Center.”
Ben Frazier: “we have an issue here in Duval County and that issue is trust, accountability and transparency. We will not stand for this unscrupulous, scandalous, conniving type of action when it comes to voting. Our people have given too much.”
Frazier: “We want Duval County to know and the world to know that we are mad as hell and we are not going to take it.”
Final draft of today's whirlwind news: https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/29/duval-county-vote-counting-board-member-calls-resignation-chairman-trump/6071984002/
