# Palm Beach County: Send Lawyers, Guns, and Money (well OK, maybe not guns...) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 9, 2000, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461 "2000-11-09T15:26:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/21 "2000-11-09T18:04:04Z")
They DO have the disqualified ballots. Of the 19,000, 16,000 of them had both Gore and Buchanon punched. Easy solution - split those 16,000 votes between Gore and Buchanon - except Buchanon doesn’t want them. I think the fact that one candidate who seems to have benefitted from these mistakes has a problem with the ballot as well says a lot. Bush should concede Florida. There is too much controversy about the vote there, he will be unable to accomplish anything when a sizable percentage of the population feels that he did not fairly win the election. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/22 "2000-11-09T18:08:35Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Freedom2 \* > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > The problem with the ballot was that it was a biased instrument > > This is a subjective opinion. Even if there is a real problem, then there was ample time to correct it before the elction. The votes over, count’em up and call the results. Umm…shall I cite statistical journals? They study this sort of thing. The only ‘subjective’ element here is that we haven’t studied _this particular ballot_ rigorously. But stuff like it has been found to bias respondents’ responses to surveys, and if 16,500 of 19,120 double-punches indeed turn out to be Gore-Buchanan double-punches, that’s a direct demonstration of statistical bias, at pretty much any confidence level you care to name. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > fiduciary responsibility > > You can bold that phrase on as many posts as you want, the fact is that the democrat who designed that ballot took all the measures before the vote to give people a chance to complain. The time to change the ballot is over. These citizens are not children. They selected the people in power in their county, it is all of their responsibility to make sure everything is proper. No one **owes** them anything. If they don’t like what their civil servants are doing, then they should get new ones. > > > [@](#): > > > > As I said, it was the responsibility of the local authorities to provide an unbiased survey instrument, to use the terms of the trade, and they failed > > It is the responsibility of the citizens in that area to check the public display and notices to see if they agree with the stuff their officials are doing. If no citizen carried their responsibility to speak up during the time this ballot was being displayed, then the rest of the country should not suffer. If **Gadarene** has his facts right, the local citizenry didn’t get the chance to look over the ballot, as it actually was, ahead of time. Besides, to paraphrase Arthur Dent, most of us don’t pop down to the local Board of Elections ahead of time to make sure everything’s OK. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > And this is a bit more important than third grade; we’re deciding which of two very different candidates will be the most powerful man in the world > > I agree. and that is why we set up the process to deal with problems BEFORE they occur, and then stick to them when we need them. Otherwise, people are liable to start rioting and shooting. Rule of law must be maintained. In _many_ situations in our society, it’s common to deal with problems _after_ they cause harm, rather than before. In fact, that’s the libertarian philosophy: don’t regulate X; but if X does you harm, then take the people in charge of X to court. That’s what we’re doing here. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > we can make it up as we go along. > > Somehow this seems like a path to civil war sooner or later. Why? The Founding Fathers made up our Constitutional system as _they_ went along. (True, we had a Civil War, but I don’t hear many people saying they failed.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/23 "2000-11-09T18:10:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > **John Corrado** : the precedent of the FL appeals court doesn’t apply to Federal court, where this thing is headed in about 90 minutes. Follow the link, Rufus, and you’ll notice the paragraph: > [@](#): > > The Court of Appeal also cited a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the high Court explicitly and unanimously affirmed a Pennsylvania federal court which had ruled that an unfavorable location on the ballot was not a form of unconstitutional discrimination against a candidate. (Gilhool v. Chairman & Com’rs., Philadelphia Co. Bd. of Elec., 306 F.Supp. 1202 (E.D.Pa.1969), aff’d 397 U.S. 147 (1970).) (As a note, all this speculation might be entirely moot. Does anyone know if Wisconsin is doing a re-count? New Mexico is doing one, and if the results in New Mexico and Wisconsin cause both of them to flip over to Bush, Gore can’t win even _with_ Florida- the best he can do is tie Bush.) ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/24 "2000-11-09T18:12:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > **Izzy** : I agree that the same principles should apply. But I’m willing to settle for a lower standard, and will accept greater latitude, in a school board race than in choosing the President. I imagine more than a few people feel the same way. \*\* I’m still failing to understand you. If you are correct in your assertions, why not follow these same principles in other elections as well? Are you saying that the judges threw out an election challenge that was based on sound law simply because “why bother redoing the whole election for this insignificant office”? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/25 "2000-11-09T18:23:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IzzyR \* > I’m still failing to understand you. If you are correct in your assertions, why not follow these same principles in other elections as well? Are you saying that the judges threw out an election challenge that was based on sound law simply because “why bother redoing the whole election for this insignificant office”? No, I’m saying that occasionally it happens that state judges are often political appointees who really don’t know the law very well. They _should_, but they frequently don’t. And they make decisions that overlook or just plain ignore precedent or statute. The bad decisions don’t get appealed because it simply isn’t worth anyone’s while, and the future of the country isn’t depending on it. We put up with that, because you can’t fix every damn thing that breaks. But the future of the country is riding on this one, and we should take the time to adjucicate this one as fairly and correctly as possible. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/26 "2000-11-09T18:28:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Corrado \* > Follow the link, Rufus, and you’ll notice the paragraph: > > > [@](#): > > > > The Court of Appeal also cited a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the high Court explicitly and unanimously affirmed a Pennsylvania federal court which had ruled that an unfavorable location on the ballot was not a form of unconstitutional discrimination against a candidate. (Gilhool v. Chairman & Com’rs., Philadelphia Co. Bd. of Elec., 306 F.Supp. 1202 (E.D.Pa.1969), aff’d 397 U.S. 147 (1970).) Thanks, John. I think I remember that case. IIRC, it was simply saying that being further down the ballot, rather than in the first position, wasn’t discrimination. This is different in that, due to the makeup of the ‘butterfly ballot’, certain positions were much more predisposed to **error** than others. So there’s plenty of room for the courts to distinguish one from the other, if they so choose. ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/27 "2000-11-09T18:33:00Z")
**RTFirefly** > [@](#): > > And in what way do any of my proposed solutions clash with the Constitution? States are allowed a certain amount of freedom in deciding how they will apportion their electors. I would say that this conflicts with this part: > [@](#): > > U.S. Constitution: Article II > > The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which **Day shall be the same throughout the United States.** > **[U.S. Constitution - FindLaw](https://constitution.findlaw.com/)** > > Find law and legal articles including lawyers for legal advice, legal rights or legal help to your legal issues ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/28 "2000-11-09T18:36:13Z")
I heard on CNN that they threw out 15,000 votes in Palm County in '96. I don’t know how to confirm this, but if it is true, **What the hell is going on down there?** ---
**Author:** ![Navigator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@Navigator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Navigator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/29 "2000-11-09T18:42:59Z")
Has the ‘will of the electorate’ been heard in Palm County Florida? To determine this, I believe, one needs to look at the vote in that county alone, and not in comparison to any other margins in any other county. To make the margin in the state relevant means that the number of votes for any candidate in Palm County, is only relevant ex post facto. The election went to Gore in Palm County, are they saying that wasn’t the ‘will of the electorate’? Alternatively, it seems the argument the democrats are advancing, if the number of votes in the entire state is within the margin of deciding the electoral votes then the ‘will of the electorate’ in Palm County, Florida is in question. If you revote in Palm County, you revote in every county in every state. Including, Michigan, Iowa, New Mexico, etc… ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/30 "2000-11-09T18:43:24Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* \*\* > [@](#): > > No, I’m saying that occasionally it happens that state judges are often political appointees who really don’t know the law very well. They _should_, but they frequently don’t. And they make decisions that overlook or just plain ignore precedent or statute. The bad decisions don’t get appealed because it simply isn’t worth anyone’s while, and the future of the country isn’t depending on it. We put up with that, because you can’t fix every damn thing that breaks.\*\* In that case, you should be able to come up with **someone** who ruled in accordance with your views. The idea that all the judges who ruled in these matters are political hacks, whereas you, RTFirefly and your freinds, understand the law, is not much to go by. ---
**Author:** ![nebuli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/0ea827/32.png) [@nebuli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebuli)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/31 "2000-11-10T02:17:43Z")
Freedom2 wrote: > [@](#): > > RTFirefly > > ## quote: > > ## And in what way do any of my proposed solutions clash with the Constitution? States are allowed a certain amount of freedom in deciding how they will apportion their electors. > > ## I would say that this conflicts with this part: quote: > > U.S. Constitution: Article II > > The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. That refers to the day on which Electors cast their electoral votes, not to the day on which the general populace votes (this is just to correct the above assertion- I am not advocating a revote in Palm Beach County) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/32 "2000-11-10T02:32:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > The problem with the ballot was that it was a biased instrument > > \*\* > > This is a subjective opinion. Even if there is a real problem, then there was ample time to correct it before the election. The votes over, count’em up and call the results. Perhaps this has been addressed already, but I must jump in; this is NOT a subjective opinion. It appears to be objective fact. No matter what YOU think of the ballot, it obviously had a propensity well beyond statistical chance to result in a certain error (voting for Buchanan instead of Gore.) That’s a biased instrument, period; it gave a biased result. Opinions don’t matter. Beyond that I’m not going to comment on this fiasco beyond saying that no matter what, nothing good will come of this and the 2000 election will be remembered as tainted until our grandchildren’s grandchildren read about it. ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/33 "2000-11-10T03:17:43Z")
**nebuli** > [@](#): > > \*\*That refers to the day on which Electors cast their electoral votes, not to the day on which the general populace votes (this is just to correct the above assertion- I am not advocating a revote in Palm Beach County) \*\* I disagree. I think it is very clear that it refers to **BOTH** the day the people vote to choose the electors, and the day the electors vote. Here, this this part of it again: **The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors** ---
**Author:** ![McKenna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@McKenna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McKenna)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/34 "2000-11-10T03:44:54Z")
Something is missing here: It is mandatory that, if you “spoil” a paper ballot, you take it back to the nice check-in ladies and request another. They take and destroy the other one. My question to those who have been following this more closely than I have (balky Net connection where I’m visiting right now) is: did ANYONE at the time of voting spoil their ballot and take them back? Was this widespread? Were people not informed of this option? If they weren’t, then I agree there might be a case for fraud or something–however, if people chose to double-punch INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR A FRESH BALLOT, I can’t see how they have anybody but themselves to blame. Trouble is, when people do a dumb thing that’s the last answer they want to hear. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/35 "2000-11-10T03:51:23Z")
There is the alternative, according to the television news, of doing a statistical reapportionment of the votes if it’s found that the votes in Palm Beach were significantly out of line with the rest of the state. The newscasters I saw were saying that this has been done before in Florida. This seems to me the fairest way of settling the question, because of the following: 1 - We know that 14000 ballots were thrown out in 1996 in Palm Beach. So the 19000 thrown out in this election is not, as crazy as this sounds, out of line with their experience in that county. (Obviously, they need to get themselves a better balloting system.) 2 - The 3400 votes Buchanan received, on the other hand, was well out of line, statistically, with what he received in the rest of the state. Since the result of the ballot used was to inflate his figures, it seems to me that figuring out a fair way to statistically reapportion the ballots ostensibly cast in his name is the fairest and most practical solution to the problem. Also, I was a little surprised, in reading this thread, just how vehement the arguments so quickly became on both sides. Really, a revote is just not practical. And for those opposing it, you can’t just let what happened in this county stand. Like it or not, some reasonable way is going to have to be found to get out of this bind. And we have less than three months to do it. BTW, according to the CNN website, a hand recount of Palm Beach county is to take place on Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/36 "2000-11-10T03:57:23Z")
I’m not a lawyer, but I am somewhat of an expert in user-interface design. And I can categorically guarantee you that that ballot would absolutely bias the votes in that area. So yes, I think Gore would have won the election, IF we base it only on this one discrepancy. However, the time to correct this was before the election. The district sent a flyer out to all voters showing the ballot - no one protested the design. The ballot was approved. When the people voted, they had the opportunity to ask questions. They didn’t. After they made a mistake, they had an opportunity to ask for a new ballot. They didn’t. If you open this Pandora’s box with legal challenges, you’ve got a real problem - there are a LOT of close districts in other states, and I’m sure you can find all kinds of fraud, lost ballots, and other anomolies if you look hard enough. This would open the door to legal challenges of EVERY close election, and that would have bad ramifications for democracy. You don’t want judges picking your politicians for you. Look: When an election is this close, it is statistically CERTAIN that it is being decided by anomolies and errors. You can’t count hundreds of millions of votes without making errors numbering in the tens of thousands at least. My solution: Announce a new FEDERAL election 30 days from now. That still gives the electoral college time to gather on Dec 18, and gives the candidates time to re-group. I know the Constitution would have to be amended, but I can’t see any other way that the U.S. can avoid a scandalous presidency, no matter who wins. Don’t allow any soft money for this election - use federal funding for both, with matching federal funds for all the third parties in proportion to where they finished in this election. Schedule one more debate. Then vote again. This would be expensive, but I think the citizenry would accept it as fair, and the country could go on. If either one of these guys wins now, it’ll be incredibly divisive for the U.S. If Bush wins, everyone will know that the REAL president lost on a technicality. If Gore wins, everyone will know that he was willing to disrupt the nation with legal challenges to democracy in order to attain power. Neither result would be good for the country. ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/37 "2000-11-10T04:16:20Z")
> [@](#): > > And for those opposing it, you can’t just let what happened in this county stand. Like it or not, some reasonable way is going to have to be found to get out of this bind. The reasonable solution is to follow the law. And the law says it stands. It might not **seem** fair, but taken in context of a nation plagued by voter mistakes, allowing only this county to revote is what is unfair. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/38 "2000-11-10T04:31:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by McKenna \* > \*\*Something is missing here: > > It is mandatory that, if you “spoil” a paper ballot, you take it back to the nice check-in ladies and request another. They take and destroy the other one. > > My question to those who have been following this more closely than I have (balky Net connection where I’m visiting right now) is: did ANYONE at the time of voting spoil their ballot and take them back? Was this widespread? Were people not informed of this option? > > If they weren’t, then I agree there might be a case for fraud or something–however, if people chose to double-punch INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR A FRESH BALLOT, I can’t see how they have anybody but themselves to blame. > > Trouble is, when people do a dumb thing that’s the last answer they want to hear. > > \*\* Didn’t you read any of the articles? Many DID ask for a new Ballot and they were REFUSED!!! ARGH! HOW MANY TOPICS DO WE HAVE TO HAVE ON THIS ONE LITTLE THING!!! _whew, sorry, tough night_ Now: Freedom-quit saying it’s Fair. If Bush just takes office, his presidency will have a cloud of suspicion over it, and people will never accept that he won fair and square. Are you so afraid your candidate might actually lose? ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/39 "2000-11-10T04:52:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Many DID ask for a new Ballot and they were REFUSED!!! Did 19,000 people ask for a new ballot? And if they were refused, then it is their responsibility to call the board of elections **AT THE TIME OF THE PROBLEM**. > [@](#): > > Are you so afraid your candidate might actually lose? I’ll tell you what, you let ME pick the county that revotes and then you answer that question. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461/40 "2000-11-10T05:18:29Z")
IMO, if we wish choose the President based upon the Will of The People, then Gore wins, either through reallocated Nader votes, reallocated double-votes, or reallocated Buchanan votes. Or perhaps via recount, which would make things simple. Maybe all this is obvious. But “Rule of law” trumps, “Will of the people”. (Those who’ve taken high school civics will recall that, for example, we live in a representative democracy, not a direct one -the people’s will is subject to all sorts of filters in any existing republic). So that means we leave it to the courts and lawyers (and 2 former Secretaries of State, BTW -now _that’s_ character, WildBill.) 🙂 I’m not a lawyer, but the legal issues seem pretty knotty here. On the one hand, we have a ballot that happened to be illegal in Florida. On the other, there is _some_ (non-decisive) precedent for dismissing ballot irregularities (Nelson v Robinson, 1974). I don’t buy the, “opening a can of worms” argument; in California, any ballot initiative of substance is invariably tied up in court for a few years after it passes. If you believe in rule of law, you have to believe in courts and lawyers: they deal with sticky issues all the time. Freedom’s constitutional point may be decisive. Let’s parse: > [@](#): > > The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. That could say that Congress has the option of setting a national election day. If they do so, they can’t set different election days for different states (sounds wise). Could they legislate revotes? If there’s an unforeseen natural disaster during a state on election day, must that state keep to the schedule? What if there is voter fraud? Surely there must be some scope for overturning certain elections. Again, we should leave it to the lawyers. I suspect that the election will be thrown to Bush and though I’ll be disappointed, I’ll accept the outcome. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-beach-county-send-lawyers-guns-and-money-well-ok-maybe-not-guns/40461.md?page=1)