With all the talk of voter fraud, challenges, disenfranchisement, machines malfunctioning and ballots missing there seems to be a strong possibility that Americans may go to sleep on Election Night only to wake up to find there is no clear winner.

Again!

Will it be a Florida redux? What about Ohio or Illinois? Will only the high-priced lawyers be smiling the day after Election Day?

Again?

I'm not even pondering whether this election ends up in the lap of the U.S. Supreme Court. You can be sure though they don't want it in their lap.

Again.

The question for debate is this:

Will we know who actually won the election when the election is over?

nighttimer,

Early voting is helping out by allowing more monitoring and challenging of the voting process before Election Day.

Colorado won't be a problem because the state constitutitonal amendment 36 question has been declared unconstitutional, and it's too late to get an appeal. That's that one that would have split the state's EC vote by percentage for this election. Darn it, wanted that one to pass! Maybe next time.

But most of all, and I think this will be the most influencial factor of this election, record voter turnouts are being reported, along with record new voters. Since history seldom repeats itself exactly, and since the conditions this country finds itself in are monumentally different than 2000, I do believe we will see a clear winner on November 3rd.

Haven't seen this much political involvement since the 1960s, and this seems to be more across all demographic lines. Or is that age talking? It just feels very exciting as we come to the end of this week. People around me are reporting long lines to get to the polls. Have NEVER heard that one in Colorado, not ever.

An energized electorate is speaking. That's music to my ears, no matter who wins.

Will we know who actually won the election when the election is over?
Well I am a bit skeptical, so I voted "No".

I too believe that there are tons of factors that make this election dramatically different than the situation in 2000 as AuthorMusician wrote. However, both sides have also learned a great deal from the 2000 election as well.

I think that unless there is a fairly solid victory in each state for one side or another, we are going to see weeks and weeks of challenges. Both sides are prepared to duke this out in front of the cameras and in the court rooms. There was an article a little while back that someone posted describing Kerry's preparations for this election and what he had learned from the 2000 election from Gore. It was meant as a hit job on Kerry, but I think you'd have to be kidding yourself if you don't think the Republicans aren't making exactly the same if not more extensive preparations as well.

The other factor is that you are going to have people on both sides trying to do dishonest things for the greater good of their party. They may or may not be under the direction of some party leadership, but the stakes are so high they are in "win at all costs" mode.

If we see any important states that are within a few thousand votes, go ahead and count on challenges of voter fraud, disenfranchisement and recounts galore.

This election is going to be ugly folks, forget watching horror flicks over Haloween... the really scary stuff is going to be aired on November 2nd. Get a comfy seat on your couch, grab some popcorn and be prepared to cover your eyes. Let's just hope we don't destroy Democracy somewhere along the way.

I actually agree with you. I think we will know who 'won' because the News will be quick to declare a winner based upon exit polls. However the reality is that the election will remain in turmobile until all court cases ae settled, and one admits defeat. I think more along the lines it will take Bush or Kerry admitting defeat until we truly know who won.

Will we know who actually won the election when the election is over?

The election will not be over until the Supremes rule. It will be a 5-4 split once again rendering US democracy a pale shadow of itself. Wide spread allegations of voter fraud and mismanagment will occur all across the US particularly in swing states. Every ambiguous vote will be recounted and recounted again by various interests giving different numbers depending on the bias. Voters will be disenfranchised and voter registrations will be discarded. I fully expect to see violence to break out. No matter who wins: 50% of the electorate will be angry and feel cheated. Resentment will build; protests will follow; violence will ensue.

Just an upbeat message from your friendly neighborhood cynic ,

I voted YES, or, Dang I hope so. I simply don't think another replay of 2000 would do anything but further fracture this Country.

Who ever wins, Win humblel, and who ever Loses, lose with grace.

I'm with Red on his hopes, but I voted "unsure." I don't think anyone can see the outcome of this one; there are too many variables. But it is important to remember that no matter who ends up winning, we are all citizens of one country and we still have to live with each other.

Unless the victory is clear, then we will be waiting for a court ruling again.

I am however hoping that whichever side finds themselves on the loosing end of the numbers on election nite they:



And don't drag the country through the mud again for selfish reasons.

I also hope that whoever wins, does so by winning BOTH the popular vote, as well as the (unnecessary) Electorial college.

I am deeply concerned that a repeat of 2000 will lead us down a road that will eventually make elections irrelevant all together.

Right you are. I agree completely. But I have a feeling that we will see the following reactions (depending on who loses):

George Bush will lose with Grace.
John Kerry will cry foul.

Just my opinion.

I am deeply concerned that GW will refuse to turn over power and lead a coup if not re-elected- I think he pretty much sees himself as the devine soveriegn of his personal fiefdom.

I do personally do not think it will be all that close- I believe that Kerry will win this thing pretty handily- but if he does, I will be very afraid until the actual turnover of power on the 20th of January.

GW managed to steal the last election, and I don't think he is above doing it again!


In direct response to the question- yes, I think we will wake to a winner, but I don't think the republicans will accept defeat, no matter how the vote comes out.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. If GW loses he will prove himself by conceding the race gracefully, as I expect Kerry will also.

I might not like Kerry, but I actually don't see him, or GW doing anything that would indicate either wants to destroy the country.



It's sad that things like this are said without prefacing it with "In my opinion".

Nobody stole the election CR.

If Kerry wins, and the win is produced through the 14,000+ attorneys from both sides that are out and about "monitoring" the election, because of the laws passed after the 2000 race, all it is, is the system working. We pass these "laws", we give the "courts" authority, then complain when they act as WE instruct them to.

I vote no. Unless there is a decisive victory, the election will be dragged out for as long as possible. A suit filed in Pennsylvania has already extended the deadline for counting military and overseas absentee ballots in the presidential election to November 10th (http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=alQXEAM.2fpc&refer=us). Each side appears to be gearing up for a legal battle. I agree with you, Cube Jockey, Halloween won't be anything compared to what Tuesday will bring.

Will we know who actually won the election when the election is over?


We listened to input from both parties and the City Clerk's office. We have made plans to be out of town on election day, and we voted by absentee ballot. The line was short, and moving swiftly; but there was a line. The talking heads have said that the larger the turnout, and the more votes cast, the more likely it will be a Democratic President who is elected. Nevertheless, both parties are pushing for a maximum voter turnout. I am expecting a record high percentage of voters going to the polls.

I don't handle face to face conversations well, I use a telephone once a month or so under duress. I have been inputting data from voter contacts by other people. There have been a great number of not at homes, but very few who refused to talk to Democratic Pollers in Republican West Michigan.

Our Headquarters are swarming with volunteers. We drove by the Republican Headquarters tonight, and while we noticed a charter bus in the parking lot, and planning for a party inside, (cake, crepe paper, etc.) there was a dearth of people inside. (Perhaps they were all out pressing doorbells.)

We have not been able to keep signs, bumper stickers, pins, etc. in stock.

A typical George W. Bush rally in the area has draw 1 - 2,000 people. He has been campaigning to his "base," requiring "loyalty oaths, and in general discouraging persuadable voters from attending his rallies. There have been rumors of arrests at his rallies of "disruptive people" who ask questions or wear Kerry/Edwards pins or tee shirts. Edwards draws upwards of 5,000 people, Kerry upwards of 10,000. We joke with the dozen or so protestors who show up at these rallies.

I live in a wealthy subdivision. (We didn't plan to be unemployed when we purchased the house.) The Bush/Cheney signs we saw 4 years ago are being referred to as "Pink Flamingos." No one wants to display them.

I have, to date, handled a single piece of paper on which a majority of the people contacted identified themselves as planning to vote for W.

One of the talking heads on TV mentioned a web site named, Bush relatives for Kerry. I laughed and looked it up.


I have joked that I am looking at this election through Goldwater colored glasses. I personally know two individuals who have said they are committed to voting for Bush on Tuesday. If my personal experience has anything to do with it, I would not be surprised to see John Kerry sweep the electoral college. I expect to see a winner declared before the polls close on the West Coast. I don't expect that will keep voters away from the polls this year. They will want to drive an extra nail into the coffin.