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Florida lawmakers met today to organize and seat new members after the election, but  the meeting was anything but usual.

Florida’s constitution give the legislature has the sole authority to decide who has been elected and who hasn’t.  That power was on full display Tuesday. Hpouse Speaker Designate Richard Corcoran moved that election results tied up in court not be accepted. “The House finds itself in the unusual position that we have received certified election results from the executive branch, and at the same time the judicial branch has held that a qualified write in candidate was denied access to the ballot. I move that the House reject the election returns for District 64, which will create a vacancy in that district” says Corcoran.

“The election returns for District 64 have been rejected by the house. A vacancy has been created” said Outgoing House Speaker Will Weatherford.

The vote to throw out the results and have the Governor call a special election was unanimous. House Speaker Steve Cristifulli says rejecting the Tampa election will actually speed up the process for seating a representative. “That actually speeds up the process.versus going through a court that could go on for several weeks, months and even longer.”

A second seat, this one from Jacksonville, remains empty because the incumbent failed to properly qualify. A special election is also being held for that seat.

Holding special elections to fill these two seats will cost taxpayers in Tampa and Jacksonville at least a quarter million dollars a piece.

Voters in the districts will be without representatives for at least a month when the legislative session begins in March.

Voters in two other state house districts and one state senate district will also have special elections due to the resignation of State Senator John Thrasher when he was appointed President of Florida State University. The total price tag for all the special elections will likely top two million dollars.