This Thursday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time marks the deadline for Florida counties to submit the second unofficial results of the November 3 elections, a crucial step in the certification timeline established by the Division of Elections of the state. The final state certification is expected on Tuesday, November 17, when the Election Canvassing Commission meets in Tallahassee.
The available results following the election day keep Florida under Republican control in the main offices, although with narrower margins than expected in several races. It is crucial to distinguish between media projections, unofficial county results, and the formal certification, which has not yet taken place.
The step-by-step process
Florida's recount system operates in a tiered manner. If the initial unofficial results —delivered seven days after the election— indicate a margin of 0.5% or less, a machine recount is ordered. The second unofficial results, which will be released this Thursday, include those recounts. If the resulting margin is 0.25% or less, a manual recount of ballots with excess votes or without a valid vote recorded may be ordered, unless the defeated candidate waives this right in writing, or the ballots in question are insufficient to alter the outcome.
After this day, the counties have until noon on Monday, November 16, to submit their official results, including any potential manual recounts. The following day, Tuesday, November 17, the Election Scrutiny Commission—composed of the governor and two cabinet members—will meet at 8:00 a.m. to certify the state results.
The most fiercely contested battles
The most competitive race among Cuban-American congress members was in District 27, where María Elvira Salazar beat Eliott Rodríguez by just 1,086 votes following the machine recount concluded on Tuesday, November 10. The final margin of 0.44% did not fall below the 0.25% threshold required to trigger a manual recount, so that procedure was not ordered.
"Once again, the voters of Florida's District 27 have spoken. The vote recount is complete, and our victory has been confirmed!" wrote Salazar on her social media after the results were revealed from the recount. Rodríguez acknowledged the result but noted that his team would continue to monitor potential military and overseas votes before the final certification.
The dispute in that district also had a judicial chapter. Rodríguez's campaign requested the removal of the Miami-Dade electoral supervisor, Alina García, citing conflicts of interest due to her statements anticipating Salazar's victory and her relationship with one of the congresswoman's lawyers. Federal Judge David S. Leibowitz rejected that request on November 9, finding the evidence presented to be insufficient.
In District 26, leads with a margin of 1,704 votes over the Democrat Nicole Locklin, a difference of 0.74% that exceeds the 0.5% threshold and does not trigger an automatic recount. Locklin has threatened to sue Miami-Dade for access to the tabulation records. In District 28, has the widest lead of the three: over seven percentage points ahead of the Democrat Phil Ehr.
The state panorama
In the highest offices, the Republican Byron Donalds has been projected as the winner of the governorship with 50.01% of the votes compared to 48.72% for the Democrat David Jolly, making him the first African American governor of Florida. Senator won the special election to complete the term of the seat left vacant by Marco Rubio with 50.86% against 48% for the Democrat Angie Nixon. Republicans also retained the positions of Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, and Commissioner of Agriculture.
The state certification on Tuesday, November 17, will formalize these results, but it will not make them irrevocable: Florida legislation provides for mechanisms for correction and challenge after that act.
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