Late Tuesday night, a red-faced LePore stormed out of the room when asked by reporters why it was taking so long to get election results.
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LePore, 49, has spent most of her life in the elections office, starting as a teenage file clerk. She has worked there for 33 years, including the past eight in the top job, winning her second term with no opposition.

She gained fame for presiding over the 2000 election, which made butterfly ballots, hanging chads and Palm Beach County the butt of jokes from late-night comedians.

Anderson, 63, would take office in 2005; LePore will preside over this year's presidential election.
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Anderson is a soft-spoken Florida Atlantic University professor of teacher education and former two-term school board member.
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Her use of the two-page "butterfly ballot" design for the paper, punch-card ballots then used for elections led to confusion for some who said they inadvertently voted for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan or more than one candidate.

With the presidential election hanging in the balance, LePore then employed a strict standard as a member of the elections Canvassing Board during the recount. Democratic leaders said her stance kept some votes from going to their presidential candidate, Al Gore.
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As most of the Democratic leadership turned against her, LePore won support of most of the county's Republican party leaders. Though the parties had clear favorites, voters in a 2002 referendum made the office officially non-partisan.
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Marilyn Schwartz, who lives in Century Village west of Boca Raton, said ousting LePore was the reason she voted Tuesday.

"I want her out. I would have voted for Mickey Mouse over her," Schwartz said.

Anti-LePore sentiment also was strong at Century Village west of West Palm Beach. Esther Mezistrano called her "that idiot," and Bella Gliesman said the 2000 election was "the blunder of blunders."

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