Reply #6: Better than speculation, we have statistics

[dlaliberte]

The exit polls nationwide showed that Kerry should have won the popular vote. That is evidence that Bush probably (with a high degree of certainty) stole the election.

A statistical study is not, by itself, hard evidence, although in some cases, impossible odds make the outcome just as certain as hard evidence. With a weaker statistical result is should be enough to warrent further investigation to get the hard evidence. That is what Arnebeck is trying to do in Ohio, but given enough lawyers, we could do it in almost every state.

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know the legal standing of statistics in courts. But as a scientist (of the CS variety) statistics are at the foundation of most of our scientific knowledge, and you can't break the laws of nature.