Patsy T. Mink: “I feel compelled to note my strong objection to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the matter of the State of…”

“I feel compelled to note my strong objection to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the matter of the State of Florida's recount of undercounted ballots in the November 7th, 2000 Presidential election. I believe that it was wrong for the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule the decision rendered by the Supreme Court of Florida in a matter that was strictly within the law and purview of the law of the State of Florida. The principles of equal protection of the law have never required the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene to provide uniformity in the form of the ballot, within a state or among the states, nor has it required uniformity in the method used to tally the votes cast. The State of Florida as elsewhere in the country has allowed each county or similar political subdivision to determine on its own the form of the ballot, and the manner of machine or handcount that is to be used. If standards or requirements of uniformity are needed to conform to equal protection requirements, then all ballots and all counts in Florida are null and void. There were no standards and certainly no uniformity in how the counts were established by initio. The Court examined the recount process in an effort to find some way to invalidate what the Florida court has ordered. Had the U.S.…”