Earlier today a judge ruled against Rep. Allen West’s request for a full recount of all early ballots in St. Lucie County. He did, however, leave it up to the elections division to decide. The division did recommend a recount, but things are still up in the air. The Palm Beach Post has the details.

After a judge denied U.S. Rep. Allen West‘s request that he order a recount of 37,379 ballots from early voting in St. Lucie County, the Florida Division of Elections tonight recommended to the St. Lucie County Canvassing Board that they recount all eight days of early voting.

At least 304 ballots from the early vote totals may be missing, a state elections official said.

A lawyer for St. Lucie Elections Supervisor Gertrude Walker said the missing ballots are believed to be in a box in her office, but she has been out of the office all day.

She has been undergoing tests at the hospital, her lawyer said.

Meanwhile, the count of overseas ballots in Congressional District 18’s three counties of Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Martin gave Democrat Patrick Murphy a net of two votes.

West won 34 overseas votes to Murphy’s 29 in Palm Beach County, 5 to Murphy’s 3 in Martin and 11 to Murphy’s 20 in St. Lucie.

Earlier today, Treasure Coast Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn said he did not have the authority to issue an injunction ordering the recount, which West wanted after problems emerged in the counting of early votes on election night. (Read More)

Murphy is leading by about 1900 votes. But after the first three days of early ballots were recounted his lead was slashed by almost 700 votes. It would only seem to make sense to count the ballots from the other days, but of course Murphy is fighting it. And what’s with the missing ballots? Good grief.