America trained its eyes on Florida in the weeks following the
2000 election. The razor-thin margin between the two candidates
made glaringly visible many of the problems that had probably
been evident in prior elections. Because those elections weren’t
as close, the problems had been tolerated and the
disenfranchisement accepted as business as usual. This year, in
the first national election to follow, the warning signs are
once again in evidence. Many problems have been diagnosed in
primary elections, and far more voters will go to the polls in
November. That increase in voter turnout could provide the
additional pressure to aggravate these electoral problems to the
breaking point. Misprinted ballots, poorly trained poll workers
and malfunctioning voting machines are but a few of the problems
that plagued voters during the 2002 primaries. Officials knew
that they would have to deal with new districts, new technology,
new laws and new equipment. With so much to deal with, the fact
that many jurisdictions wer