During our training for Voter Protection, we were told to have people avoid the PBs, because in most cases they weren't counted; you have to meet all of the requirements (the exact list escapes me now), otherwise it goes in the trash.

It is an absolute disgrace that our voting system is "on par" with those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At the very least, we need to have three major reforms: 1) same-day registration, 2) change the e-voting system so that it prints a paper ballot that is then verified by the voter and dropped in the box, and 3) provide the capability for anyone registered in a county to vote at any polling place in that county. Here in Texas the early-voters were able to do #3: the ballot automatically adjusts to match your available choices; there is no reason why this cannot be done for the general election.

The majority of people (poor, 'minorities') I helped on Nov 2 had the problem of being in the wrong precinct, thanks to Tom DeLay's successful redistricting efforts. So, they got more seats and managed to stop many people from voting. Probably couldn't have planned it better...

When we Fernerz hear that America has no federal election authority to impose a uniform procedure and access standards, we usually shake our heads.

Voting controlled by local warlords? Look no further than the Lower 48.

Co-worker of mine said something profound yesterday. Don't recall the exact words, but here's an approximation...

How long have they been doing this now? A hundred years? Two hundred? Why haven't they got it right yet? They're supposed to be the world's great democracy, but every time they hold an election it's like it's the first time they've done it and they just have no idea how to do it properly. Surely they should have learned from their mistakes by now.

Its also very possible that the votes still out could trigger automatic recounts.

I'm not holding out hope or anything, I'm just saying.

"Its also very possible that the votes still out could trigger automatic recounts."

I doubt it. The margin in OH would have to drop under 0.25% for the automatic recount; somewhere under 20,000. Even if the number of valid ballots is as high as 150K (unlikely) they would have to skew ridiculously Democratic.

The Florida Senate race might be a different issue, I'm not sure. The margin there was relatively close and I was told there are a huge number of ballots outstanding. But probably not.

I weep for the stupidity and skewed priorities in this country. There is a long, hard road ahead. And I fear that Progressives and Liberals will have to become as dirty, nasty, and divorced from truth as the right wing in order to win (or at least believe that they must).

I doubt the outstanding votes would substantially change the electoral college results but I think Jon is right that they will substantially decrease Bush's lead in the popular vote. Even though it does not logistically give him the presidency (the electoral college does that) -- the popular vote lead does give him a mandate, and any decrease to it can be used to put pressure on him not to be too radical. not that that stopped him the last 4 years. WE do indeed need voting reform. I am working on an article about how our election was covered in teh ARab and British international TV to show how outside perspectives looked to me. It seems that while they think it's exciting and fun to wathc, they also think it's unbelievably complicated nad constantly had to be re-explaining the electoral college system to their voters and showing them how the various different types of balloting mechanisms worked. That plus the fact that each state has myriad rules of its own makes for a really confusing system.

Duh, I meant "to their viewers" not "to their voters".