indecision 2000

since there is no constitional law board and
politics is all business and finance and worse, I'm curious if the lawyers here care
to chime in about the situation in my home
county, Palm Beach. Yes, I did a double take
before voting because once the paper ballot
was slid into the slot you had to very carefully prick the hole of your choice. Voters here are used to going down each page
first and a lot of voters probably voted the
second hole before even noticing the second
page with the two hole corresponding to Buchanan. As for getting the sample ballot
in advance, there were no "holes" printed
anywhere to line the punches up with and we
only received the samples on Monday if at all for some reason. I'll wager that when
voters got to page two and realized their mistake they stupidly punched the five hole instead of asking for another ballot. Those
votes should be tossed out. My question is
based on the margin of victory for either side and the dispropotionate votes cast for
Buchanan where he didn't even campaign, can
a request for a re-vote be legally argued?
Is there any precedent or case law? this is
a wild and wacky time to live here in paradise whatever the outcome. (Can't really
compare the past reform vote percentages in the county as there was significant voting for Perot but he ain't Pat Buchanan and Perot
had some support here). God Save America

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

This is a non-partisan opinion

Basically, if there is a disproportionate number of votes (as even Buchanan admits and stated so), then there is a question as to the legality of the ballots themselves.

Bush's side argues the time to argue about the constitutionality of these ballots should have been prior to the voting time. Guess what? Stupid is as stupid does! Of course, no one is going to complain prior to voting because all those who approved the ballot form carefully designed it themselves or had opportunities to figure out how it worked.

Average Joe who has to take work off to vote doesn't have time to sit and ponder over hundreds of tiny dots, holes and arrows.
Once people get out of the booth and start conversing with each other and realize that oops, they may have made a mistake, they began to step up to the plate.

So, apparently there is case law in your home state that allows a judge to overturn that vote or order a new vote.

Either way, the mudslinging and accusations should stop. Hello? How does this country look to the rest of the world? As a foreign-born individual, I can tell you one thing: this country looks really really stupid and petty.