Michigan, Florida Dems Mull Do-Over Votes

States who lost delegates to too-early races could become tie-breakers
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 6, 2008 6:22 AM CST
Michigan, Florida Dems Mull Do-Over Votes
Gov. Charlie Crist speaks at a news conference to call on the Democratic National Committee to seat their Florida delegates at the national convention, Wednesday, March 5, 2008, in Tallahassee, Fla. Charlie Crist and Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm released a joint statement Wednesday making the...   (Associated Press)

Do-over Democratic primary votes in Michigan and Florida are looking likelier with the support of key political players, the AP reports. The governors of both states—a Clinton-backing Democrat in Michigan and a Republican in Florida—have issued a joint statement calling for their states' delegates to be seated at the national convention.  Campaigns for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seem open to the idea. Clinton won both primaries, but neither candidate campaigned and Obama wasn't even on the Michigan ballot.

The Democratic National Committee stripped the states of their delegates because their contests were held too early. Party chief Howard Dean said the states are free to submit plans for new votes but the rules won't be bent for them. "We are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game," he said.  Finding funding for the do-over primaries is likely to be the biggest obstacle, but Michigan is looking into holding a scaled-down "firehouse" vote. (More Florida primary stories.)

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