CDR: Re: Al Gore is only 630 votes away from winning the election

[William H. Geiger III]

In <4.3.0.20001108034928.016a6820 at mail.well.com>, on 11/08/00 
   at 02:49 AM, Declan McCullagh <declan at well.com> said:

>http://enight.dos.state.fl.us/SummaryRpt.asp?ElectionDate=11/7/00&RACE=PRE

The numbers have changed giving Bush a larger lead:



 
Bush/Cheney(REP)            2,909,135     48.9%    +1784
Gore/Lieberman(DEM)         2,907,351     48.9%
Browne/Olivier(LIB)            15,658      0.3%
Nader/LaDuke(GRE)              94,479      1.6%
Harris/Trowe(SWP)                 551      0.0%
Hagelin/Goldhaber(LAW)          2,240      0.0%
Buchanan/Foster(REF)           16,962      0.3%
McReynolds/Hollis(SPF)            618      0.0%
Phillips/Frazier(CPF)           1,347      0.0%
Moorehead/La Riva(WWP)          1,728      0.0%

Total                       5,950,069    100.0%
       

No numbers available on Absentee Ballots which in FL are hand counted*.

A recount has been called for.



NOTE: In FL you are given a 2 sided ballot there are broken arrows next to
each candidates name ( <==  == ). In the voting booth you are provided
with a black felt tip pen. To select your candidate you fill in the blank
space to complete the arrow. When you are finished there is an OCR machine
onto of a large box at the entrance to the polling place. You tear off a
stub on the ballot, hand it to the person manning the OCR machine, then
you feed the ballot into the machine which automatically tallies your vote
and deposits the ballot into the box below.

An interesting side note, on presenting my voter registration card I was
asked for my Drivers License. I asked the attendant why she needed it. Her
response was that it was required by law to present a photoID. I asked
here what would happen if I didn't have one. She said that I would not be
able to vote. I did not go into detail if it had to be a state ID or any
photoID would work but I was left with the impression that only a state ID
would be accepted.

There was also some dirty politics here in FL with the various news
networks. For those who are not aware FL has 2 time zones. Everything east
of Tallahasse is Eastern, Tallahasse west is Central. The news media was
very quick to claim FL as a victory for Gore and were broadcasting this
before the polls closed in the western half of the state. One has to
wonder if this did not have an adverse effect on voter turnout in the
panhandle which historically is very conservative (Joe Scarboro (R) ran
unopposed). I voted around 6:30pm and I am quite happy to know that my
vote has had such a profound influence on this election.

-- 
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