Thanks to Atman and Ravenswood for posting this article in LBN -- the email for this group is:
[email protected]. Those with knowledge of Ohio, Florida, and elsewhere, where voters are already being disenfranchised through the registration process and absentee balloting, please respond.
Observers Foresee Snags in U.S. Election
Wed Sep 29,12:16 AM ET
By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Problems loom for the presidential election including voting equipment changes that could delay the outcome past Nov. 2, a group of international observers said Tuesday in a report.
A five-member team from the Organization for Security and Cooperation (news - web sites) in Europe, a 55-state security group invited by the Bush administration, also pointed to problems with voter registration lists and provisional and absentee ballots, allegations of voter intimidation and slow implementation of the Help America Vote Act.
"In general, the nationwide replacement of voting equipment, inspired by the disputes witnessed during the 2000 elections, primarily in Florida, may potentially become a source of even greater controversy during the forthcoming elections," said the 11-page report.
Many of the new touch-screen machines that will be used by up to 50 million voters on Nov. 2 do not produce the paper ballots needed for a manual recount of votes, the report said.
This "may cause postelection disputes and litigation, potentially delaying the announcement of final results," it said....
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040929/ap_on_el_pr/election_observers&cid=694&ncid=2043NOTE: The remainder of the article indicates this group is aware of things that are going on and concerns; let's give them some help.