Charles E. Burton is a county court judge and chairman of the
Palm Beach County, Florida election canvassing board.
During the 2000 presidential election, Burton, a
Democrat, initially opposed a hand recount of the ballots, but he was outvoted. Once the recount began, however, he threw himself into the task with gusto, and his friendly, hands-on attitude was a sharp contrast to the partisan
Carol Roberts and the reclusive
Theresa Le Pore, his colleagues on the canvassing board.
With the recount deadline approaching on November 26, Judge Burton requested an extension from
Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. Harris refused to grant an extension and refused to accept the recount results from the county, despite the fact that they were completed only two hours after the deadline. Burton called it "
a slap in the face".