Who is counting the ballots?

At least a half dozen major news outlets are contemplating a complete recount of all the ballots in Florida including Time, Washington Post, LA Times, The New York Times, US News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and the Miami Herald.  One conservative advocacy group called Judicial Watch also plans to participate.  Several of these have already begun a recount in Broward County.  The Orlando Sentinel already finished a recount in Lake County (click here for the results).

The Washington Post reports:

"Organizations including The Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune and the Associated Press are working together, flying in reporters to examine ballots in shifts. The Miami Herald has hired an  accounting firm to examine punch cards."  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24199-2000Dec18.html
 

The Miami Herald has hired an Accounting firm to actually do their counting.  Here is a letter to their readers.

"To our readers:

The Herald and its parent company, Knight Ridder Inc.,  Monday began a review of approximately 6,600 ballots
in Broward County that registered no vote for president during the machine count. This is the beginning of a project that will involve reviewing about 60,000 so-called undervotes in all 67 Florida counties.

Because these ballots have been at the center of debate over the outcome of the presidential election, The Herald and Knight Ridder believe there is substantial, continuing public interest in documenting and tabulating the marks, if any, that appear on the
ballots.

To assure impartiality and accuracy, The Herald and Knight Ridder have retained the services of BDO Seidman, LLP, one of the largest accounting and consulting firms in the nation....BDO Seidman has agreed to observe each ballot, record the marks it finds and tabulate the results, providing reports to The Herald and Knight Ridder.

In observing the presidential portion of the ballot, BDO Seidman representatives will note the characteristics of each ballot in the following manner: dimple, pinprick, one corner detached, two corners detached, three corners detached, punched cleanly and no mark.