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Poll: US voters skeptical of elections
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-10-26 20:37 Memories of Florida's contested 2000 presidential
election and a growing number of pre-election lawsuits are making Americans
skeptical about a voting process they once took for granted.
Six in 10 of those surveyed in an Associated Press poll say it's likely there
will not be a clear winner in the presidential race by Nov. 3 — the day after
the election. About half say they fear the results will be challenged in court,
according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos Public Affairs.
Both Democrats and Republicans worry about the possibility of an
unresolved election — though Democrats express more worries. About seven in 10
Democratic voters, 69 percent, say they think it's likely there won't be a clear
winner by Election Day, while almost six in 10 Republican voters, 56 percent,
say they feel that way.
With both political parties putting thousands of lawyers on call for
Election Day, a majority of both Democrats and Republicans — just over half of
each — expect the election results will be challenged in court.
"I read the other day that there's going to be a perfect storm," Jack
Martin, a businessman who lives near Salt Lake City, said of the growing number
of lawsuits. "I think it's coming down to the courts. It worries me about our
election system. I used to think every vote counts."
Both parties already have filed lawsuits over a variety of complaints —
from how provisional ballots are counted to alleged fraud in voter registration.
Judges in several states have issued disparate rulings on provisional ballots,
which are required under law for voters who show up at the polls only to find
their names are not on the voter rolls.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati is expected to hear
arguments this week on the use of provisional ballots in Michigan. It is unclear
whether the court will rule before the election.
A majority say they are confident the vote count in their own state will be
accurate. Fewer than half of Democrats say they are "very confident" their
state's vote count will be accurate, while three-fourths of Republicans feel
that way.
Lori McKay, 29, a Republican from St. Louis, says she thinks election
officials will get things right this time.
"After all the problems last time, I'm thinking they will do a better job,"
she said.
In the closing days of the campaign, the national parties are keeping
especially close tabs on Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa and New Mexico, all
presidential battleground states where a challenge to a close race might be
lodged Nov. 3.
Florida in 2000 turned into a political and legal ground zero over a
Bush-Gore recount. After 36 days, the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites)
handed Bush a 537-vote victory in Florida and, thus, the presidency.
More than half in the poll, 54 percent, say they think the vote count in
Florida was not fair and accurate, with Republicans overwhelmingly saying it was
and Democrats overwhelmingly saying it was not. Independents say by a 2-to-1
margin that it was not fair.
Pamela Martin, a 52-year-old Democrat from Miami, says she was "not too
confident" that 2004 will be any better in Florida than the last time around.
Martin, who is black, says she heard plenty of stories about blacks who had
trouble voting the last time.
Worries about politics and legal challenges far outweigh worries about
terrorist attacks intended to disrupt the elections, the poll found.
Just under one-third of those polled say they expect terrorists will attempt
to disrupt elections.
Elections officials in many states are taking steps to improve security at
polling places but are looking for ways to heighten readiness without posting
armed police.
Almost half in the poll say having armed police at the polls would make them
more inclined to vote, while about one in six say it would make them less
inclined. Minority voters were more likely than whites to say armed police would
make them less inclined to vote.
The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 adults, including 856 registered voters and 670
likely voters, was taken Oct. 22-24 and has a margin of sampling error of plus
or minus 3 percentage points for the full sample, slightly larger for subgroups
like registered voters.
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