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California Voting Snafus?

Aired October 29, 2003 - 15:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We have new information today about voting problems during the October 7 recall election. Two organizations that conducted exit polls for the news media have released an analysis of the election process.
The Edison Media Research-Mitofsky International study found that efforts to avoid Florida-style ballot problems were not entirely successful.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): The Florida experience alerted the world of the political perils of the hanging chad and the butterfly ballot. But the glitches in California's recall vote were somewhat different. Newly released analysis points to flaws in ballots designed for optical scan machines, similar to these.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost like your old SAT, to bring up a bad memory for all of us, fill in the blank.

WOODRUFF: With 135 names listed, finding your candidate of choice was difficult enough. But where do you mark your ballot? The answer, to the left of your candidate's name. But, apparently, several thousand Californians who meant to vote for one of the top three candidates incorrectly marked the oval to the right. So, instead of voting for Tom McClintock, Cruz Bustamante, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, as they probably intended, they actually voted for Randall Sprague, Jerry Kunzman or Ronald Palmieri.

The new analysis found those relatively unknown candidates got a suspiciously large percentage of votes in 11 of 13 counties that used optical scan systems. This could help explain why. Notice, the ballot instructions say, vote like this. And the oval is misleadingly positioned to the right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are taking every step to try to avoid a -- quote, unquote -- "Florida-style problem." But one of the things I've said to people is, there are going to be problems.

WOODRUFF: That preelection prediction by California's secretary of state proved to be correct. Luckily, the nearly 5,000 votes that may have been miscast were not enough to change the recall election outcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: But things would have been different if the vote had been close. It is a reminder to election officials looking ahead to 2004 that, when you think you have every possible ballot snafu figured out, it probably pays to think again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired October 29, 2003 - 15:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We have new information today about voting problems during the October 7 recall election. Two organizations that conducted exit polls for the news media have released an analysis of the election process.
The Edison Media Research-Mitofsky International study found that efforts to avoid Florida-style ballot problems were not entirely successful.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): The Florida experience alerted the world of the political perils of the hanging chad and the butterfly ballot. But the glitches in California's recall vote were somewhat different. Newly released analysis points to flaws in ballots designed for optical scan machines, similar to these.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost like your old SAT, to bring up a bad memory for all of us, fill in the blank.

WOODRUFF: With 135 names listed, finding your candidate of choice was difficult enough. But where do you mark your ballot? The answer, to the left of your candidate's name. But, apparently, several thousand Californians who meant to vote for one of the top three candidates incorrectly marked the oval to the right. So, instead of voting for Tom McClintock, Cruz Bustamante, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, as they probably intended, they actually voted for Randall Sprague, Jerry Kunzman or Ronald Palmieri.

The new analysis found those relatively unknown candidates got a suspiciously large percentage of votes in 11 of 13 counties that used optical scan systems. This could help explain why. Notice, the ballot instructions say, vote like this. And the oval is misleadingly positioned to the right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are taking every step to try to avoid a -- quote, unquote -- "Florida-style problem." But one of the things I've said to people is, there are going to be problems.

WOODRUFF: That preelection prediction by California's secretary of state proved to be correct. Luckily, the nearly 5,000 votes that may have been miscast were not enough to change the recall election outcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: But things would have been different if the vote had been close. It is a reminder to election officials looking ahead to 2004 that, when you think you have every possible ballot snafu figured out, it probably pays to think again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com