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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Road Walker who wrote (204406)	9/29/2004 10:23:37 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1578012

International Observers Predict Trouble in U.S. Vote Wed Sep 29, 2004 07:44 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - International observers predicted problems in the U.S. presidential election with new voting machines and warned the result could again be delayed, four years after a disputed count determined who won the White House. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observers issued a report this week on preparations for the Nov. 2 vote, after a visit earlier this month. The group highlighted concerns over the machines, voter eligibility rules and allegations of intimidation aimed at lowering the turnout of ethnic minorities. "In general, the nationwide replacement of voting equipment, inspired by the disputes witnessed during the 2000 elections, primarily in Florida, may potentially become a source of even greater controversy during the forthcoming elections," the group said in the report which was posted to its Web site (www.osce.org/odihr). Many new machines do not produce a paper ballot that would be needed in the case of a manual recount, the observers, who were invited by the Bush administration, said. Uneven application of rules on provisional ballots -- which can be cast even when the voter's eligibility is unclear -- "may cause post-election disputes and litigation, potentially delaying the announcement of final results," they added. In 2000, voters split down the middle in Florida, which was ridiculed worldwide as it spawned court battles over whether and how to count imperfect ballots. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled George W. Bush won the state by 537 votes, and the decision gave him the presidency. With polls showing this year's election between Bush and Democrat John Kerry could also be tight in several states, civil rights groups have raised concern that voters could be disenfranchised and the 2000 debacle could be repeated. The OSCE, which groups 55 countries, will publish an unprecedented report of its observations after Nov. 2, although it will not judge the overall fairness of the vote. "We are very proud of our election system ... we are happy to open up our elections for people to observe, comment, offer advice maybe even learn something," a senior State Department official said. While Democrats have welcomed the OSCE mission, Republicans have been quick to note the limitations on the group, which did not make recommendations to help avoid election-day problems. continued......... reuters.com