Election staff at the Miami‑Dade Elections headquarters have been working through the night and will continue into Tuesday to recount about 250,000 ballots in the closely contested U.S. House race for Florida’s Congressional District 27. The race pits incumbent Republican Maria Elvira Salazar against Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez.
Recount process and timeline
The recount began just before 11 a.m. on Monday after workers tested the tabulation machines to confirm they were operating correctly. Election Day ballots were processed first and the count was wrapped up Monday evening. Tuesday’s plan is to move on to early‑vote and vote‑by‑mail ballots.
Assistant county attorney Michael Valdes explained that any ballot that tears or becomes unreadable will be set aside for duplication. “If a ballot may get torn, may get ripped and may stop the process, the ballot that is not able to be run through the machine anymore will be brought for duplication,” Valdes said.
Canvassing board oversight
The canvassing board, which reviews disputed ballots, includes County Judges Jose Rohaidy and Victoria Ferrer and Elections Supervisor Alina Garcia, a Republican. Garcia’s son‑in‑law represents the Salazar campaign, prompting a conflict‑of‑interest challenge from Rodriguez’s team.
Rodriguez’s campaign asked a federal judge to remove Garcia from the board, but the motion was denied. “It was not about Eliott Rodriguez, it was not about Maria Salazar, it wasn’t even about Alina Garcia,” said JC Planas, an attorney for the Rodriguez campaign. “It was about making sure we draw a line to make sure that those who are responsible for maintaining our democracy do everything possible to show impartiality.”
Current vote margin and possible manual recount
Salazar entered the recount with a narrow lead of 1,090 votes. Valdes noted that if the final margin falls at .25 percent or less, state law requires a manual recount. “If the results are between .25 margin or less, then we proceed to a manual recount,” he said. “If not, then that concludes the recount.”
Neither campaign has officially claimed victory, and the final outcome will depend on the continued tabulation of the remaining ballots.
What this means for voters
Residents of District 27 should expect updates as the recount proceeds. The process underscores the importance of every vote, especially in a district where the margin is razor‑thin. Election officials have emphasized transparency and adherence to state law throughout the recount.
For those interested in following the count, the Miami‑Dade Elections website will provide live updates and detailed results as they become available.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
