Write-In Votes Would Tip San Diego Race

[Jon8503]

SAN DIEGO - A review Tuesday of ballots cast in the San Diego mayor's race showed that a city councilwoman would beat the incumbent mayor if disputed write-in votes were added to the official tally, a newspaper reported.

The review, being conducted by representatives of the mayoral candidates and several media outlets, found 4,180 ballots on which voters wrote Democratic Councilwoman Donna Frye's name but failed to darken a bubble next to the write-in line as required by state law, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on its Web site.

Republican Mayor Dick Murphy beat Frye by 2,108 votes according to the election results certified by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters. He was sworn into office last week for a second term.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=7&u=/ap/20041214/ap_on_el_st_lo/san_diego_mayor