BrianH
At the Start
From the Guardian online:
Lawyers poised as US vote hit by technical glitches
· Third of electorate use controversial machinery
· Early indications of high turnout in close contests
Americans turned out yesterday to decide who will control Congress for the last two years of the Bush era, closely watched by poll observers and thousands of lawyers from both parties ready to step in to the fray if the results were close.
More than a third of the electorate voted on new electronic machinery, and anxiety about the experiment in computerised democracy was evident from the beginning as reports came in of glitches.
In Florida, there were complaints that touchscreen computers had wrongly recorded voters' choices and Democrats called for the machines to be impounded. In parts of Indiana and Ohio, computer problems meant polling stations failed to open on time, with voters being turned away or given paper ballots.
"It's an unmitigated disaster," said Warren Stewart, the political director of VoteTrustUSA, a watchdog organisation that is deeply sceptical about the introduction of electronic voting. "There is no way to overestimate the problems. I was expecting it to be bad, but not this bad."
It was unclear how many voters were affected. Any suggestion of a malfunction or fraud in the many close races for the House of Representatives, Senate or governorships was expected to spark a legal challenge in an election fought against the backdrop of a divisive and unpopular war.
The Democrats were seeking to win control of Congress for the first time in 12 years, casting the vote as a referendum on George Bush, who would be rendered a "lame duck" president if his party lost its majority. The president has sought to portray a vote for the Democrats as signalling weakness to America's enemies.
Of 435 House of Representative seats up for grabs, the Democrats need 15 to win control of the chamber. In the Senate, 33 seats are being contested and the Democrats need six for a majority. Pollsters have consistently given the Democrats a good chance of taking the house, though the polls narrowed recently as the Republicans fought back.
Financial markets were anticipating sufficient Democratic gains to shift the balance of power in Washington. The Dow Jones industrial average soared ahead in early trading, as investors calculated that legislative gridlock created by a Democratic majority in either house would slow regulatory change and create a more favourable environment for business.
Mr Bush cast his vote - in what at $2.6bn (£1.37bn) are projected to be the most costly congressional elections in American history - at a fire station near his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and urged people to follow his lead. "We live in a free society and our government is only as good as the willingness of our people to participate," the president said. "Therefore, no matter what your party affiliation or if you don't have a party affiliation, do your duty, cast your ballot and let your voice be heard."
Following the 2000 presidential election, which brought Mr Bush to power after a legal battle in the supreme court, lawyers have played an increasingly important part in party strategies. The justice department sent a record 850 poll watchers to 69 cities and counties as a safeguard against fraud. Meanwhile, the Democratic party recruited more than 7,000 lawyers to watch polling stations on its behalf, and the Republicans are believed to have fielded a similar number.
Early signs suggested that voter turnout, usually low in midterm elections, could be higher than normal.
One of the few certainties was that the vote would mark the official start of the 2008 presidential race. The leading contenders from both parties have taken a high-profile role on the campaign trail and some are expected to make a formal announcement of their intention to run soon after the results become clear. One of the potential frontrunners, Hillary Clinton, voted yesterday in her election for her New York Senate seat. "I voted for change, except for me," Senator Clinton said, after casting her ballot with her husband, Bill.
Lawyers poised as US vote hit by technical glitches
· Third of electorate use controversial machinery
· Early indications of high turnout in close contests
Americans turned out yesterday to decide who will control Congress for the last two years of the Bush era, closely watched by poll observers and thousands of lawyers from both parties ready to step in to the fray if the results were close.
More than a third of the electorate voted on new electronic machinery, and anxiety about the experiment in computerised democracy was evident from the beginning as reports came in of glitches.
In Florida, there were complaints that touchscreen computers had wrongly recorded voters' choices and Democrats called for the machines to be impounded. In parts of Indiana and Ohio, computer problems meant polling stations failed to open on time, with voters being turned away or given paper ballots.
"It's an unmitigated disaster," said Warren Stewart, the political director of VoteTrustUSA, a watchdog organisation that is deeply sceptical about the introduction of electronic voting. "There is no way to overestimate the problems. I was expecting it to be bad, but not this bad."
It was unclear how many voters were affected. Any suggestion of a malfunction or fraud in the many close races for the House of Representatives, Senate or governorships was expected to spark a legal challenge in an election fought against the backdrop of a divisive and unpopular war.
The Democrats were seeking to win control of Congress for the first time in 12 years, casting the vote as a referendum on George Bush, who would be rendered a "lame duck" president if his party lost its majority. The president has sought to portray a vote for the Democrats as signalling weakness to America's enemies.
Of 435 House of Representative seats up for grabs, the Democrats need 15 to win control of the chamber. In the Senate, 33 seats are being contested and the Democrats need six for a majority. Pollsters have consistently given the Democrats a good chance of taking the house, though the polls narrowed recently as the Republicans fought back.
Financial markets were anticipating sufficient Democratic gains to shift the balance of power in Washington. The Dow Jones industrial average soared ahead in early trading, as investors calculated that legislative gridlock created by a Democratic majority in either house would slow regulatory change and create a more favourable environment for business.
Mr Bush cast his vote - in what at $2.6bn (£1.37bn) are projected to be the most costly congressional elections in American history - at a fire station near his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and urged people to follow his lead. "We live in a free society and our government is only as good as the willingness of our people to participate," the president said. "Therefore, no matter what your party affiliation or if you don't have a party affiliation, do your duty, cast your ballot and let your voice be heard."
Following the 2000 presidential election, which brought Mr Bush to power after a legal battle in the supreme court, lawyers have played an increasingly important part in party strategies. The justice department sent a record 850 poll watchers to 69 cities and counties as a safeguard against fraud. Meanwhile, the Democratic party recruited more than 7,000 lawyers to watch polling stations on its behalf, and the Republicans are believed to have fielded a similar number.
Early signs suggested that voter turnout, usually low in midterm elections, could be higher than normal.
One of the few certainties was that the vote would mark the official start of the 2008 presidential race. The leading contenders from both parties have taken a high-profile role on the campaign trail and some are expected to make a formal announcement of their intention to run soon after the results become clear. One of the potential frontrunners, Hillary Clinton, voted yesterday in her election for her New York Senate seat. "I voted for change, except for me," Senator Clinton said, after casting her ballot with her husband, Bill.
RESULT!
