By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The uncounted ballots in Florida which
have played a key role in Democratic
challenges are just a drop in the bucket of
ballots dismissed nationwide because of voter
error, say political observers.
An estimated 180,000
votes were dismissed in
Florida out of 6.1
million votes cast
because of improper
voting procedures.
However, more than 2
million ballots were
tossed out in all 50 states
and also will not be
counted, said Curtis Gans,
director of the Committee
for the Study of the
American Electorate.
Mr. Gans estimates that between 1 percent
and 1.8 percent of votes cast or 2.1 million
to 2.8 million ballots were eliminated
nationally.
"These are people who by one form or
another did not accurately do their ballot, and
it was thereby thrown out for one reason or
another," Mr. Gans said.
Vice President Al Gore is contesting the
election in Florida based on "incomplete and
inaccurate" vote tallies. The official count
announced Sunday night gave Republican
George W. Bush a 537-vote victory in Florida
and the state's 25 electoral votes.
"If we ignore the votes that have been cast,
then where does that lead?" Mr. Gore asked
rhetorically in a telephone call yesterday to
congressional Democrats. "The integrity of our
democracy depends upon the consent of the
governed, freely expressed in an election
where every vote is counted."
"What is at issue here is nothing less than
every American's simple, sacred right to
vote," said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Mr.
Gore's running mate.
"How can we teach our children that every
vote counts if we are not willing to make a
good-faith effort to count every vote?" the
Connecticut Democrat asked Sunday after
Florida's secretary of state certified election
returns.
The every-vote-must-count mantra makes
sense on paper, but election experts say it is
not feasible to count every vote cast, and in
this case is "sheer hypocrisy," said Rep. John
Shadegg, Arizona Republican and an election
lawyer.
"Clearly, they do not believe that every
vote should count. These thoughts are
impeached by their attempts to get military
overseas ballots thrown out, and also
impeached by the fact they did not ask for a
manual recount in any of the remaining Florida
counties which also used punch-card ballots,"
Mr. Shadegg said.
"Realistically, the answer is no, you cannot
count every vote," said Doug Lewis, director
of the Election Center, an international service
association of election and voter registration
officials.
Sometimes, voters fail through their own
error to turn a ballot into a vote.
"Obviously, if the voter votes in a manner
where it is impossible to determine their intent
or that they voted for too many people, then
you have no choice but to remove that vote
from the count," Mr. Lewis said.
Sen. Larry E. Craig, Idaho Republican, said
it is a known factor that a certain percentage of
votes is discarded during machine counts. Mr.
Craig said every effort is made to create
uniformity and fairness in counting votes, but it
does not mean every vote can be counted.
"While that is frustrating to some, it has
never been that way," Mr. Craig said.
Mr. Craig said the quick reaction by Mr.
Gore's campaign to ask for recounts indicates
they were prepared in advance of Election
Day to ask for hand counts in heavily
Democratic counties to swing a close vote.
"This was a well thought-out and planned
strategy in advance. When Al Gore said he
would do anything and everything to win this
election, we must take him at his word," Mr.
Craig said.
Contacted by The Washington Times,
several secretary of state offices said they do
not keep numbers on how many ballots are
thrown out after an election, but "rejected
ballots are a normal occurrence," said a
spokeswoman in the Alabama secretary of
state's office.
Secretaries of state across the country have
formed a committee to study election-reform
issues raised in this election, said Leslie
Reynolds, spokeswoman for the National
Association of Secretaries of State.
"We've been looking at these issues for a
long time. Now, everyone is interested," Miss
Reynolds said.
Every vote would count "if we get rid of
the rickety machines," said Al Felzenberg,
visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
"Voting should not be a mysterious or
burdensome process," Mr. Felzenberg said.
[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 11-28-2000).]
