Experts: Senate recount won't have huge impact

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - U.S. Senator Bill Nelson wants a recount after refusing to concede Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday.

Scott declared victory, saying "I have no interest in looking backwards. I'm looking to the future."  

Senator Bill Nelson wants a recount, especially after issues were raised with voting. One supporter took the stage saying, "There are seven precincts in Broward County, where the electronic systems failed. Ballots are being delivered by thumb drive so numbers are still up in the air."

We asked Florida State University election law professor Michael Morley if a recount would make a difference.

"It's extremely unlikely that a recount will help Senator Nelson get ahead," he said. 

He added that provisional ballots, as well as overseas and military ballots, are still being counted. As Gov. Scott led by a little more than 26,000 votes, less than .31 of 1 percent.  Morley doesn't think there will be a huge impact, even with a recount.

"You often have a few dozen votes, sometimes a few hundred votes, virtually never orders of magnitude like we're seeing separate the two candidates in this race."

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said, there would be an automatic recount with a slim lead, even if Nelson doesn't ask for one.

"Whenever the contest is within half of one percent, it's an automatic recount," said Cowles. 

If the difference is less than one quarter of one percent, a manual count takes place.

"That's where we physically count those ballots. But we aren't looking at all the ballots, just the ones that could change the total."

Those are ballots with errors, like when a voter circles instead of fills in a bubble.  Morley expects the same outcome, on a different day.

"This Saturday is the deadline for providing the unofficial vote tallies to the Secretary of State to determine whether the recount is required."