Florida's Overseas Ballots Suddenly Crucial

Officials Don't Know How Many To Expect In Next Several Days

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Updated 11:48 a.m. EST November 9, 2000 -- The overseas ballots that are usually such a minor part of Florida's elections are suddenly crucial, but seeing their outcome is going to take a while.

The votes come from Floridians serving in the military or working overseas. They have to be postmarked by Election Day but can arrive as late as ten days after the election and still count.

The problem is that state elections officials don't know how many out-of-country ballots to expect. While it might seem that military ballots would be largely for George W. Bush, it's not known how many might be from minority servicemen and women, who might tend to vote for Al Gore.

Four years ago, Florida had 2,227 out-of-country absentee votes cast. They favored Republican Bob Dole, even though Bill Clinton carried the state that year. This year's numbers are expected to be much higher.

The Department of Defense reports that more than 27,000 Florida residents in the military are stationed overseas. But it's not known how many requested ballots.

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