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08/31/2004 Archived Entry: "Election Overseers Want Big Win"

Posted by steve @ 03:20 PM EST [Link]

UMMM, YEAH, I'D BET ON THAT HAPPENING: The people in charge of America's upcoming presidential election are hoping....no, praying...that whoever wins in November wins big.

State and county election officials from around the country are praying that this year's presidential race ends with a wider margin of victory than it did four years ago when George W. Bush beat Al Gore in Florida by only 547 votes. A close victory this year would likely result in more charges of voter fraud and calls for recounts, two things that election officials don't relish.

Election officials are under siege this year, due to problems with voter registration lists in 2000, electronic voting machines and reported conflicts of interest among the makers of voting machines and elected officials.

"Voter groups, partisan groups, campaign groups, lawyers groups and news media are descending upon us this year," said Doug Lewis, host of the conference and director of the Election Center, a nonprofit organization that trains election officials nationwide.

"If election 2000 was under a microscope, this one's probably under an electron microscope," he told the audience.

Get ready for a storm Mr. Lewis.

Read on.