“The election overseer for a critical county in Florida confirmed to CNN on Sunday what observers in both parties had begun to predict: There is no way Palm Beach County’s machine recount will be finished by the Thursday deadline.”

“The prediction came as a rare point of agreement between Democrats and Republicans in the state, who have engaged in a tense fight since Tuesday’s election brought tight margins in statewide races.”

“Florida officials said vote tallies from counties, which were due to the state today, show the races are close enough to trigger a recount,” the Washington Post reports.

“A machine recount and possibly a hand recount will be necessary to learn the outcomes of the races between Sen. Bill Nelson (D) and Gov. Rick Scott (R), who is seeking to unseat him, and between former congressman Ron DeSantis (R) and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D), who are vying for governor.”

President Trump called the delay in tallying ballots in Florida “a disgrace” and sought to tie the ongoing vote count to a conspiracy he claimed exists to undermine Republicans by Democratic operatives, Politico reports.

Said Trump: “All of a sudden they’re finding votes out of nowhere.”

First Read: “We guess it’s only fitting — and expected — that Election Day 2018 is far from over, with drama and controversies over new vote counts and/or upcoming recounts in Arizona, Florida and Georgia.”

“But what is taking place in Florida is now war – after Republican Rick Scott’s lead in the Senate contest was reduced to just 15,000 votes. Scott, the state’s current governor, filed a lawsuit accusing Democrats of fraud and trying to steal the election. President Trump weighed in, tweeting: ‘Law Enforcement is looking into another big corruption scandal having to do with Election Fraud in #Broward and Palm Beach. Florida voted for Rick Scott!'”

“What happens when you have a 2000-like recount in our current Trump Era – not only in Florida, but also in Arizona and Georgia? Well, we’re about to find out. The following weeks in Florida could very well define the state over the next two years, and it’s likely to produce a result where half of the state won’t believe it’s legitimate.”

Politico: “Election officials, campaign operatives and lawyers across Florida are gearing up for massive recounts in large part due to a familiar problem: Broward County, which has been saddled with election controversies ever since the disputed 2000 presidential race.”

“All eyes are on that problematic South Florida county – Florida’s second largest and one of its most Democratic – as it lags nearly every other in the state in reporting ballot tallies. The county’s results could help decide the races for U.S. Senate, governor and agriculture commissioner, which are headed for recounts.”

A new Quinnipiac poll in Florida finds Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) leading Gov. Rick Scott (R) in the U.S. Senate race by seven points, 51% to 44% among likely voters.

In the race for governor, Andrew Gillum (D) leads Ron DeSantis (R) by the same margin, 50% to 43%.

Said pollster Peter Brown: “There is little difference in the two races. Both leaders ran up double-digit leads among women; whites went heavily for the GOP candidates while non-whites went even more so for the Democrats.”

A new St. Pete Polls survey in Florida finds Andrew Gillum (D) just ahead of Ron DeSantis (R) in the race for governor, 48% to 46%.

In the U.S. Senate race, Gov. Rick Scott (R) edges Sen. Bill Nelson (D), 49% to 48%.

“More than any other state, President Trump has staked his reputation and his political clout on Florida, a state with one of his most prominent political acolytes running for governor, the place where he spends perhaps more time than anywhere else outside of the White House, and a state he’ll return to twice this week in an effort to stave off an embarrassing loss,” the Washington Post reports.

“But beset by natural disasters, alleged bombmakers, and a race-inflected campaign, Florida is at risk of becoming a problem for Republicans that could have implications that reach far beyond the election taking place in seven days.”

“The White House is planning a political rescue mission in Florida, fearing a wipeout in a key swing state next month that could damage President Trump’s reelection hopes,” Politico reports.

“Trump is expected to visit the state at least twice, according to two people familiar with the plans. Visits from several Cabinet members are likely, as well. Presidential text messages are being sent to Floridians who still haven’t cast their absentee ballots. And discussions are underway about blanketing the state with robocalls from Trump.”