BROWARD COUNTY, FLA. - Brenda Snipes, who found herself at the heart of the 2018 midterm recount controversy, has resigned her post as Broward Count Supervisor of Elections. This ends a career marred in election mishaps, legal challenges, and illegal administration actions.
Snipes submitted her letter of resignation early Sunday, confirmed by Burnadette Norris-Weeks, an attorney who works as counsel for Snipes' office: “It is true. She did send it." The letter was sent to Tallahassee after the recount for governor, US Senate, and agriculture commissioner were wrapped up.
Broward County became the focus of the 2018 midterms, as late ballots spurred some Republicans, like Governor Rick Scott, US Senator Marco Rubio, and President Donald Trump, to raise accusations of fraud. Broward County was slow to get its final vote tally in, and Snipes did not offer updates as frequently as state law requires.
However, it wasn't just late ballots. Snipes acknowledged over the weekend that her office could not find over 2,000 votes that had been included in the first count, but not in the machine recount.
This is not the first time Snipes has been found in conflict with state and federal law. In the 2016 primary for Debbie Wasserman Schultz's seat in the 23rd Congressional District, a court found that Snipes had illegally discarded thousands of ballots, making the recount request by challenger Tim Canova impossible.
In 2018, she met with and even campaigned with Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
In 2012, roughly 1,000 uncounted ballots were discovered a week after the election.
Snipes had already indicated that her time as supervisor of elections was coming to a close. She mentioned that “it is time to move on” last week. She has reportedly said that the reason for her departure was to spend more time with family.
Snipe was appointed to be the Broward County supervisor of election by then-Governor Jeb Bush in 2003. She has been re-elected by county vote every four year since then. Now, however, she is resigning under as many accuse her of a similar level incompetence that led to her predecessor's removal.