Observers Mobilize for Big Day, Lawyers Prepare for Fallout
The bitterness and bad feelings left from 2000's nasty, monthlong dispute over Florida's presidential vote could explode into election day chaos this November as both major parties get ready to fight that battle again, anywhere in the country. Democrats boast of having 10,000 attorneys ready to deal with any election law violations on Nov. 2, while Republicans want to have bipartisan teams of observers in every precinct where problems could occur. Various other groups, some linked to the parties and some not, also vow to do whatever it takes to keep the election clean. Democrats and Republicans know that George W. Bush's 537-vote victory in the state made him president, which is a constant reminder of just how important each vote can be. "We are very prepared, very aggressive,'' Terry McAuliffe, head of the Democratic National Committee, said after the party convention in Boston. "There are people who felt that the Democrats didn't fight hard enough (in 2000). ... That's not going to happen.'' There's a growing concern that the 2004 election will be close enough to be stolen, and neither side has been shy about pointing fingers. [more ]