Kathy Dent Press Conference

Sarasota County Supervisior of Elections Kathy Dent made this comment in her press conference that amazed.

Question: There is a lost of concern about the undervote in the Jennings-Buchanan race. Are you looking at that and how that factors into a possible recount?

Kathy Dent: Well, the undervote doesn't factor into the recount per say. There does seem to be a higher number in the 13th congressional race. I do not know what to attribute it to completely to. I do know we did not have equipment failure yesterday ... It was recorded with all the other races we had.

Question: So there was no complaints about ... there were people telling us "we pushed the button and it didn't go through. It didn't show up. You saying you didn't have any of those?

Kathy Dent: No, we have reports from our poll workers who were advising the voters. Make sure you go back if no selection made showed up on the review screen; the voters could go back and cast their vote. So, on the review screen, most of the voters that my poll workers talk to actually said their vote did show up on the review screen and able to cast their ballot.

Dent should talk to poll worker Kenneth Sanderson.

Among them was Kenneth Sanderson, who said he cast an early vote for Jennings last week that didn't show up on the review screen. He corrected it before turning in his ballot, but questioned whether the same happened to others who didn't catch the omission.

"I'm an ex-poll worker, so I understand all the problems that can happen," he said. "I don't hold much confidence in machines."

Dent is not being straight forward. She sent out an email before November 7 about the undervoting. Four people complained their votes for Christine Jennings weren't recorded. Dent used the words "critical" to describe the situation. For her to say she wasn't aware of complaints or undercounting is silly.

Kathy Dent press conference audio.

Update: In the press conference, Dent said there is not much she can do about complaints "after the fact."

Dent said no venders program the machine. Three staff members deal with the programming.