Editorial: Just what is Bush so afraid of?

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2000 | 10:28 a.m.

Florida's top election official dutifully is waging a torpedoes-be-damned philosophy on behalf of George W. Bush, who is trying to do everything he can to win the 25 electoral votes of Florida, the state that likely will decide the presidency. There is no need to rush this process, but Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris -- a Republican who campaigned for Bush -- said Monday that all vote recounts should be finished by 5 p.m. today. The winner then would be certified by Saturday. It also is disappointing that a state court judge today upheld the Florida secretary of state's decision to maintain a 5 p.m. deadline, a ruling that likely will be appealed.

Overseas ballots will be counted until Friday as long as they were postmarked by Election Day. In light of that, then, it is clear that Harris' insistence on requiring all vote recounts to be completed by today was a decision motivated by raw, partisan politics. In the past, overseas ballots have tended to favor Republicans, so the conventional wisdom is that a sizable majority likely will go to Bush. Meanwhile, the four counties where Gore is seeking a recount went for the Democratic nominee in the first tally, so it's possible that if more mistakes are found, they could favor Gore, which could push him over the top in that state.

It is essential that voters have faith in their election officials, no matter their party affiliation. Florida's Republican secretary of state has demonstrated that she hardly is the paragon of impartiality. Harris' decision would make it impossible for large counties to have enough time to correct any errors that might have been made -- most say they would need until Sunday to complete a hand count. It's amazing that Harris, even though many believe she has the option of delaying the vote's certification, insisted on an incomplete tally that would disenfranchise voters in her state. Why even have a law allowing for a hand recount when the state's top election official can make it impossible to do so?

Bush's surrogates also argue that computer machines are more accurate and less prone to mischief than recounts. But what this election has shown is that, yes, voting machines do make mistakes, especially in states such as Florida that still use antiquated punch card systems. For that matter, mistakes can happen anywhere; the key is rectifying them once they're discovered. As an example, the initial tally in New Hampshire showed that Bush beat Gore by more than 8,000 votes. But a later review there discovered proofreading and computer errors, giving Bush 1,000 extra votes in one ward. So New Hampshire did the responsible thing, rechecking its numbers elsewhere in the state to make sure its final count was correct.

So far opinion polls have shown that the public overwhelmingly is willing to accept either candidate as president -- even in light of the close vote. But there is a political land mine ahead for Bush if the public views his campaign as thwarting a fair election by short-circuiting a recount. If that happens, Bush runs the risk of permanently tainting his presidency.

Americans haven't been clamoring for an immediate declaration of who has won the presidency. A Newsweek poll found that by a margin of 3-1, Americans say it's more important to make sure the vote count in Florida is fair and accurate than it is to decide quickly who won. There is plenty of time remaining before a new president needs to be declared. Electoral College votes won't be cast until Dec. 18, a month away. Our Constitution also contemplates the need for an orderly transition; President Clinton will be in office until Jan. 20. A hand recount is expected to take up to a week, which isn't long considering the stakes involved. Let's stop the bickering and count all the votes that are in dispute so that Americans are confident that the next president has been elected fairly.