Missing memory card changes apparent outcome in state House race

A previously missing election machine memory card in Seminole County has reversed the apparent outcome of a legislative race where early results showed a Republican incumbent losing his seat.

After election night, the state’s unofficial tally showed Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, trailing Democrat Harry James by fewer than 100 votes.

That changed on Friday, after the missing memory card was found and its contents uploaded.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office said in a statement that Greene was now leading by 262 votes.

(On Friday night, the secretary of state’s website showed Greene with 10,193 votes to Democrat Harry James’ 9,932, a difference of 261 votes.)

Democrats appear to have flipped 13 other Republican seats. They appear to have lost two of their own but still appear on track to win 92 seats without Greene’s, enough for them to control the House for the first time in two decades. But the apparent reversal in Greene’s race means Democrats could have only a 1-vote cushion.

There are 180 seats in the House, and it takes a majority of them to pass legislation — a minimum of 91 votes.

Even if the reversal of Greene’s apparent loss does not affect control of the House, it affects who represents voters in the nine counties touched by Greene’s district in the southwest corner of the state.

“This oversight didn’t just affect the numbers — it changed who was leading an election,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “That is unacceptable, and we intend to find out exactly how it happened.”

The secretary of state’s office said the discrepancy was discovered when the count of the number of voters who checked in was compared against the number of votes, showing about 388 more voters than ballots. The discrepancy triggered a search for the missing memory card.

Another unresolved race could change the overall numbers.

Rep. Mike Cheokas, R-Americus, failed to win a majority in a three-way contest for his seat. With the independent eliminated, Cheokas must now face the second-highest vote-getter, Democrat Ethan Wolfe, in a runoff.

If Cheokas loses, Democrats could have a 2-vote cushion.