JURIST - Paper Chase: Puerto Rico election dispute draws protestors to 1st Circuit hearing

[JURIST] A hearing by the US 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Monday on disputed ballots in the Puerto Rico gubernatorial race drew protestors calling for no federal intervention in the election. The 1st Circuit will decide whether Puerto Rico's Supreme Court (in Spanish) or a US district court in San Juan has jurisdiction over the case, which involves ballots with markings next to two candidates in the race. Results currently show pro-commonwealth candidate Anibal Acevedo Vila (campaign site in Spanish) with a narrow lead over former Gov. and pro-statehood candidate Pedro Rossello (campaign site in Spanish). The two courts in Puerto Rico both ordered recounts in November, but with contradictory instructions on how the ballots should be counted. The Boston Globe has more on the disputed election results. From San Juan, El Nuevo Dia has local coverage (in Spanish). AP has more.

3:30 PM ET - The First Circuit has posted a zipped file of the recorded oral arguments in the case here.

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