Kevin Elliott wrote:
% This is why people who don't know statistics should not be allowed to
% think... By no means is that number, by itself, of any significance
% whatsoever. How many got canceled last election- one number I heard
% said 14,000. If so then 19,000 is about what one would expect
% considering increased voter turnout and normal statistical
% fluctuations.
Bzzzt! Wrong.
http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB973893500998857873.htm
#
# November 10, 2000
#
# Palm Beach Official Disputes Claim By Bush Campaign on Invalid
# Ballots
#
# By JACKIE CALMES Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
#
# WASHINGTON -- The Bush campaign is dead wrong on one of its prime
# arguments in response to complaints about voter confusion in
# Florida's Palm Beach County, according to a top county official.
#
# Palm Beach County Commissioner Carol Roberts said in an interview
# Friday that about 30,000 ballots were invalidated for their
# presidential selection this week because voters had punched two
# holes or none. That is more than twice the 14,000 invalidated
# in 1996, which could be evidence of some amount of voter confusion
# about the county ballot's much-criticized design.
#
# This week, both Bush campaign Chairman Don Evans and chief
# strategist Karl Rove have claimed that about 19,000 ballots'
# presidential votes were invalidated, or not significantly more
# than four years ago, when turnout was lower. But that 19,000
# represents only the invalidated ballots with two holes punched
# for president, the commissioner says. More than 10,000 additional
# ballots were invalidated for having no presidential vote, she
# explains, for a combined 30,000.
#
# "It's not a correct argument," Ms. Roberts, a Democrat, said
# of the Bush officials' contention that this year's invalidated
# ballots are comparable to the number four years ago. "It's just
# not accurate."
Kevin Elliott wrote:
% More importantly, the ballot was approved by both
% parties before the election took place.
Thus demonstrating the ballot design problem is non-partisan.
I asked a [Bush-voting] friend why the live-and-let-die attitude
towards such a large loss of people's votes, and he admitted it
was because he wanted Bush to win, and that Gore probably had
the votes.