Kevin Elliott <k-elliott@wiu.edu> 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 <k-elliott@wiu.edu> 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.