The Miami-Dade Elections Department rejected the request from influencer and mayoral candidate, Alexander (Alex) Otaola, to conduct a vote recount following his defeat in the county elections.
Otaola, known for his anti-communist stance and support for former President Donald Trump, ended up in a distant third place in Tuesday's elections, receiving only 12% of the votes, far behind the current mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who secured a second term with over 58% of the votes.
Otaola's campaign manager, Andy Santana, argued in an email sent to the Miami-Dade Department of Elections that a recount was essential to ensure the accuracy of the results, based on the alleged closeness to victory.
However, state laws only allow for an automatic recount when the difference is half a percentage point or less, which was not the case in this election. Levine Cava surpassed her closest competitor by more than 34 percentage points.
Miami Herald cited the response from Vanessa Innocent, assistant to the deputy election supervisor, to the influencer's campaign through an email: "Recounts are not conducted upon request."
At an election party held at his farm in Homestead, Otaola expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the results and stated that he would not accept defeat until a recount was conducted. His supporters, many of whom share his support for Trump, also expressed suspicions of fraud.
Roberto Rodríguez, deputy elections supervisor of Miami-Dade, emphasized that "the results are what they are" and invited citizens with questions to visit the elections office to see for themselves how the tabulation process was carried out.
Until Wednesday night, Otaola's campaign did not issue any further official statements on this topic.
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