Florida election recount: Rules behind close races

Election officials are navigating tight margins and late ballot deadlines to determine final outcomes across several Florida counties.Narrow races can trigger mandatory recounts, and thousands of challenged mail-in ballots remain in reserve unless a board decides they are needed. Florida election recount rulesFlorida law orders an automatic machine recount if the margin of defeat is less than or equal to 0.50% of total votes. If the retabulation margin falls below 0.25%, the state orders an automatic manual hand recount.Why does it take so long to call some races?Voters whose vote-by-mail ballots were flagged for a missing or mismatched signature have until 5 p.m. on the second day following the election, which is the Thursday after Election Day, to submit a cure affidavit and identification to their county supervisor of elections, according to Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. In a statewide or tight congressional race, thousands of cure-eligible mail ballots across countie