Provisional Ballots Raise New Questions

[Nambe]

Associated Press

Tens of thousands of Americans will vote in November using a special kind of ballot that must be counted by hand, potentially leaving the outcome of the presidential election in doubt as elections officials argue over each vote.

Although it might stir memories of hanging and pregnant chads from the 2000 election, the "provisional ballot" is a new national voting requirement meant to ensure no voter is turned away. For the first time, provisional ballots will be available at precincts nationwide for those who can't find their names listed at the polls.

Yet, just three months before what looks to be another extremely close presidential election, states don't agree about how to count these ballots. Some localities are worried they won't have time to tally them, and voting rights advocates fear many won't be counted at all.

"They do have the potential to be the chad of 2004," said Doug Chapin, director of the Election Reform Information Project, a nonpartisan group that studies elections. "Given that you have to basically ascertain the validity of a ballot, ballot by ballot, you open yourself up to the same kind of high-stakes politicization of the process we saw in Florida in 2000." ..

[stickdog]

1. As if hand counting were an evil menace or something ...

What a crock!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. It might take a day or two to count them......IMPOSSIBLE!

I have the attention span of a gnat, damnit!

[DeepModem Mom]

3. NYT had a pg-1 story on this a few days ago; any experts have comments?

nt