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| Florida presidential vote-count rumbles on | Florida presidential vote-count rumbles on |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Florida is still counting ballots as recriminations fly over yet another presidential vote-counting delay involving the US state. | Florida is still counting ballots as recriminations fly over yet another presidential vote-counting delay involving the US state. |
| Mr Obama has a 0.6% lead in the state - more than 50,000 votes - but some ballots have yet to be counted. | Mr Obama has a 0.6% lead in the state - more than 50,000 votes - but some ballots have yet to be counted. |
| The result is not expected before the weekend, though it cannot affect Barack Obama's victory in Tuesday's election. | The result is not expected before the weekend, though it cannot affect Barack Obama's victory in Tuesday's election. |
| The swing state was the scene of the bitterly contested recount in the knife-edge 2000 presidential election. | The swing state was the scene of the bitterly contested recount in the knife-edge 2000 presidential election. |
| A Florida Division of Elections spokesman told the BBC on Thursday that three counties - Broward, Palm Beach and Duval - still had ballots to be counted. | A Florida Division of Elections spokesman told the BBC on Thursday that three counties - Broward, Palm Beach and Duval - still had ballots to be counted. |
| If the final difference in the number of votes for President Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney is below 0.5%, a recount would be automatically triggered. | If the final difference in the number of votes for President Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney is below 0.5%, a recount would be automatically triggered. |
| But whatever the outcome, it matters little since the Democratic incumbent decisively won the national vote in the electoral college. | But whatever the outcome, it matters little since the Democratic incumbent decisively won the national vote in the electoral college. |
| Republican officials have said they expect Mr Obama to eventually be declared the winner in Florida. | Republican officials have said they expect Mr Obama to eventually be declared the winner in Florida. |
| "We thought based on our polling and range of organisation that we had done what we needed to win," Brett Doster, a Florida advisor for Mr Romney, href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/08/3087995/romney-campaign-we-lost-florida.html" >told the Miami Herald. | |
| "Obviously, we didn't, and for that I and every other operative in Florida has a sick feeling that we left something on the table. I can assure you this won't happen again." | |
| Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told reporters on: "We feel we will be the official winner in Florida later today." Counties must send preliminary results to the state by midday on Saturday. | |
| Long queues were reported across the fourth most populous US state on Tuesday. | |
| Some voters waited to cast ballots until 01:30 local time the next morning, after Mr Romney had already delivered his concession speech. | Some voters waited to cast ballots until 01:30 local time the next morning, after Mr Romney had already delivered his concession speech. |
| Tens of thousands of absentee ballots also arrived on election day. | Tens of thousands of absentee ballots also arrived on election day. |
| In Broward County, Democratic Mayor John Rodstrom told the Miami Herald: "The big picture is that we have done this to ourselves," blaming the current trend for combining all sorts of municipal, state and federal elections on one ballot. | |
| "We have these tremendously long ballots now," he said. | |
US re-elects Obama - reaction | US re-elects Obama - reaction |
| The Sunshine State's problems began even before election day, with lengthy queues reported during the early-voting period. | |
| Democrats launched a legal challenge against a Republican-backed measure to limit the period that voters could cast ballots before the election, from 14 days to eight. | Democrats launched a legal challenge against a Republican-backed measure to limit the period that voters could cast ballots before the election, from 14 days to eight. |
| They said it was a blatant attempt to suppress Democratic turnout - Florida's African-American voters have tended to cast ballots early in previous elections. | They said it was a blatant attempt to suppress Democratic turnout - Florida's African-American voters have tended to cast ballots early in previous elections. |
| But Governor Rick Scott said the measure, passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature in 2011, aimed to limit voter fraud. | But Governor Rick Scott said the measure, passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature in 2011, aimed to limit voter fraud. |
| The early-voting period officially ended last Saturday. Election supervisors in Miami-Dade and other counties did open up voting for several hours on Sunday. | The early-voting period officially ended last Saturday. Election supervisors in Miami-Dade and other counties did open up voting for several hours on Sunday. |
| But after being swamped by voters, one polling office in Miami-Dade County temporarily shut its doors. Some in line began to shout: "Let us vote!" | But after being swamped by voters, one polling office in Miami-Dade County temporarily shut its doors. Some in line began to shout: "Let us vote!" |
| There was also a technical error with an automated phone system that told more than 12,500 voters in another county that the election was on Wednesday. | There was also a technical error with an automated phone system that told more than 12,500 voters in another county that the election was on Wednesday. |
| Florida was not alone in reports of lengthy election day lines. Voters waited for hours in states such as Virginia, New York and Washington DC. | Florida was not alone in reports of lengthy election day lines. Voters waited for hours in states such as Virginia, New York and Washington DC. |
| Twelve years ago, Florida was at the centre of the election cliffhanger involving uncounted hanging-chad ballots. | Twelve years ago, Florida was at the centre of the election cliffhanger involving uncounted hanging-chad ballots. |
| The US Supreme Court intervened to halt the state's recount, effectively awarding George W Bush victory over his Democratic rival, Al Gore. | The US Supreme Court intervened to halt the state's recount, effectively awarding George W Bush victory over his Democratic rival, Al Gore. |