It's Official! Gore Won Florida!

With a Bush no longer controlling the Governor's office, and recognizing that previous actions by his state cost candidates elections, the new Florida Governor announced he would work to eliminate voting machine that do not accurately reflect the will of the voters.

By getting rid of previous systems didn't work, the Governor basically admitted that the two closest national races in Florida were counted incorrectly, meaning that Al Gore won Florida in 2000. Opponents may try to spin the Governor's action as trying to solve problems raised in 2006, but the proposed system would not return to 2000 style counting, but would eliminate the flawed system that cost Gore the election.

As the AP pointed out Florida's voting system attracted national attention in 2000 when dimpled, pregnant and hanging chads on punch card ballots held up a final count in the presidential election. Florida was eventually decided by 537 votes after the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in, handing the election to George W. Bush.

Numerous ballots were not counted in Florida in 2000, primarily in areas that voted heavily Democratic and actions of the government were later found to be "grossly derelict."

Malfunctions in touch screens in 2006 enabled a Republican to win by 369 votes despite more than 18,000 electronic ballots recording no vote and there was no way to confirm that was the voter's intent.

New Gov. Charlie Crist (R) said he wants to spend $32 million on a proposed a system that would create a paper trail of votes. The plan, which needs legislative approval, aims to have all counties producing paper trials by the 2008 presidential election.

"What we're talking about here is democracy, and it is precious," Crist said.

Left unsaid in Gov. Crist's comments was "we f#@ked up, sorry Florida, America, and the World."