The presidential election is over, but Florida still doesn't have a winner.

Poll workers have been counting absentee and provisional ballots all week, and they have to submit their totals to state officials today.

President Barack Obama, who won re-election, holds a slim 60,000-vote lead in Florida, and his campaign claimed victory Thursday. But media outlets have yet to declare Obama the winner of Florida's 29 electoral votes.

The uncertainty and other problems during the election, including long voting lines and squabbling over a shorter early voting period, has made Florida a target for national ridicule.

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott defended the state's handling of the election even as his election chief told CNN the state could have done a better job.

Secretary of State Ken Detzner told CNN there are two reasons why some of Florida's votes are still uncounted.

"One is the length of the ballot here in Florida," he said. "In ... Miami-Dade County, the length of the ballot was 12 pages. It had 11 constitutional amendments that had to be printed in full, and it had 10 local referendum issues, in addition to the presidential election and local offices.

"So the length of the ballot (was a major factor). And two, the enthusiasm of the electorate. The turnout was unprecedented. It was a record year of turnout."

Scott also cited the long ballot and a large surge of early and absentee voters.

"What I'm trying to do is improve the way government works," he told the Tampa Bay Times. "I believe in efficiency. I believe every vote has to count. I want to have a good process that people feel good about."

Detzner conceded on CNN that the state should have allowed the counties to have more early voting locations.

Earlier this year, Gov. Scott signed into law a measure that cut the amount of early voting days from 14 to 8.

Some Democrats have alleged that the limits on early voting, put in place by a Republican legislature and Scott, are a Republican plot to make it harder for Democrats to vote - even though voters have the option of voting by mail.