That matters because state law requires both parties to send lists of electors to Gov. Charlie Crist before Sept. 1. The Republicans plan to name their slate next weekend in Orlando, party spokeswoman Erin VanSickle said Sunday.
Ten days notice is required for another Democratic executive committee meeting, so next weekend is out, and party leaders plan to be in Denver the following weekend for their national convention.
Florida could hold a rump session to pick electors out there, but many of the 200-plus state committee members aren't going to the convention. They could cobble together a quorum after the convention Aug. 29 -- but that's cutting it close, with different travel schedules and post-convention plans of dozens of committee members.
Ausman said party rules don't allow for meetings by teleconference or mail. And since Aug. 30-31 is a weekend, he said, there's no guarantee Crist would open his office to receive the certified list of electors. 'The Florida Democratic Party should not open the door, even a tiny bit, to Republican mischief since we know (based on 2000) that the Republicans will spend millions on legal fees in challenges, in order to win,' Ausman wrote in a memo to Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman. 'Consequently, we must dot every 'i' and cross every 't' in the proper manner to immunize us from Republican attack.' If Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., carries the state, the Democrats' current flap won't matter. But if Democratic delegates are not certified to the governor before Sept. 1 and Obama carries Florida, Ausman said a challenge to the selection of his electors could affect the national outcome.
State Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff said there's no way Obama won't have Florida electors. Party leaders held a conference call late Sunday and agreed to push the new meeting back a couple of days, probably to Aug. 20 in Orlando, but Ausman said there's a problem with that date, too.
They couldn't get the meeting notice postmarked Sunday night and not all executive committee members have e-mail or faxes, said Ausman, so there's no way they could all get 10 days notice of that new date. 'The members of the State Executive Committee will prove their commitment to electing Barack Obama as the next Democratic President United States by attending the rescheduled meeting to ratify our slate of electors,' Jotkoff said.
