Miami ? Pre-election tensions mounted Thursday in Florida amid claims of voter intimidation, promises that absentee ballots will reach the Broward County citizens who are missing them, and concerns that Republicans will question the authenticity of thousands of votes on Election Day.

Workers at Broward’s elections office prepared 1,000 absentee ballots for overnight shipment to Floridians in other states, and expected to send up to 14,000 ballots by today to residents who requested them weeks ago.

Meanwhile, state Republican leaders said they were protecting “the integrity of the process” by compiling a list of voters who they say are improperly registered and should not be allowed to cast ballots Tuesday.

“I presume they will use it as a basis for challenges,” said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Florida. “And when they’re using a list that’s very likely inaccurate for challenges, I think we’re in for hand-to-hand combat at the precincts.”

The Broward County absentee ballot issue was murkier than ever.

About 58,000 ballots were mailed Oct. 7 and 8, according to county officials, who said many either did not arrive at residents’ homes or didn’t arrive in a timely way.

Broward County elections supervisor Brenda Snipes said Thursday that her office had sent some 128,000 absentee ballots this year, that 72,000 completed ballots had been returned, and she expected 40,000 more by Tuesday.

Residents who requested ballots but haven’t received them are being told to call the election office for replacements by overnight mail. There are concerns, however, that the mailing glitch could create confusion with individuals having two ballots or being forced to file provisional ballots on Election Day.

“I think it was more of a delay than ballots being lost. … The extent of the problem is not going to be as great as it may appear,” Snipes said.

In Palm Beach County, meanwhile, hundreds of members of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans say they haven’t received their absentee ballots.