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Florida Voters Fearing a Repeat of 2000 Elections; Make-A-Wish Sends Fan to World Series; Many Polling Volunteers Still Needed for Tuesday
Aired October 27, 2004 - 10:30 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up on the half hour -- actually, I think we have arrived at the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We are there. And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here is what's happening right now in the news.
With six days -- count them, folks, six days -- before the presidential election, George W. Bush takes his reelection campaign to three states today. He begins with a rally next hour in Pennsylvania. Then he travels on to Ohio, finishing off the day in the State of Michigan. All three are considered critical showdown states.
The Democratic nominee, John Kerry, is also working the battleground states. He will begin his day in Sioux City, Iowa. Then he travels on to Rochester, Minnesota, and he then returns to Iowa for an event -- for an evening event. That will take place in Cedar Rapids.
From NASA, we get a glimpse of Saturn's mysterious moon Titan. The Cassini spacecraft has begun feeding some of the images taken during a historic fly-by that swept within 745 miles of this hazy moon. Scientists admit they can only guess what they're seeing, but hope that more pictures and more data will unlock some of Titan's mysteries.
And Earth-bound skywatchers are in store for their own celestial treat. For more than an hour tonight, a total lunar eclipse will cast the moon in an orange and red glow. Viewing times are going to be late night for the North and South America, and then pre-dawn for Europe and western Africa.
KAGAN: Are you counting the days on the calendar? Only six days before the presidential election. And the parties have dispatched their ticket's number two men to stir up some votes. Bush running mate and Vice President Dick Cheney is in Florida, the state that decided it all four years ago. Cheney appeared last hour near Orlando.
Kerry running mate John Edwards is also stumping in Florida. Next hour, he stops in Clearwater to urge early voting. He has at least two other events scheduled later today in the Sunshine State.
Both the Bush and Kerry campaigns have legal teams on standby. They are ready to scramble if voting irregularities occur. Earlier this morning, we spoke to two key figures in the legal battle that erupted over the Florida election debacle that was four years ago. They share similar concerns, as you can hear, from their interviews on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID BOIES, GORE 2000 ATTORNEY: I think you have some of the same circumstances. You have a very close election. You have an election that may come down to one or two states -- Florida being very key. You have a lot of charges of partisanship going back and forth.
But I think you have a lot of things trying to resolve those issues before the election. And I hope that's successful.
THEODORE OLSON, BUSH 2000 ATTORNEY: We think not just the candidates and the candidates' supporters, but the lawyers have a responsibility to act with justice and fairness and responsibility, because the American people are watching. We are citizens of the United States. We care as much as everyone that this is done right and is not resolved in the course but resolved at the ballot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: One legal issue looms in Florida, where a federal judge ruled yesterday that election officials do not have to process incomplete registration forms. That could mean as many as 14,000 people might not be able to vote. An appeal is expected, but it's not clear if the issue will be resolved before Tuesday's election.
SANCHEZ: There are a lot of voters in Florida who are fearing a repeat of the 2000 election controversy there, especially seniors. Florida's new electronic voting machines are not necessarily giving them some comfort this time around.
Our Jason Bellini takes us to one of the polls with some early voters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ramprasad (ph) Retirement Community celebrates Election Day -- early Election Day. Victor and Roz Bellini, my grandparents, hope the pride of West Palm Beach seniors voters will be restored this time around.
In 2000, voters here became the joke of the election, many seniors claiming they accidentally voted for Pat Buchanan. To blame -- the infamous butterfly ballot. Remember those hanging and pregnant chads? Florida seniors haven't forgotten them either.
(on camera): Are you ready to vote?
ROZ BELLINI: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody has their -- either driver's license or their voter's registration card.
J. BELLINI (voice-over): This time, Florida hopes early voting and electronic voting will prevent another train wreck.
R. BELLINI: You only vote for one.
VICTOR BELLINI: Vote for one, right.
J. BELLINI (on camera): No, you vote for three, just like last time.
(voice-over): Here in large numbers to do their patriotic duty...
V. BELLINI: I don't know whether I got the patience for it.
J. BELLINI: The seniors can hardly contain their excitement.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the thing is I could care less. I'm at that point. I don't like either of them.
V. BELLINI: Roz, isn't that LePore right there?
J. BELLINI: Grandpa spots none other than Teresa LePore, the supervisor of elections who created the 2000 butterfly ballot.
V. BELLINI: She made a big mistake, not only for herself but the whole country.
J. BELLINI (on camera): And this is Grandpa Bellini.
TERESA LEPORE, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, PALM BEACH CO., FLORIDA: For once, grandpa bites his tongue.
J. BELLINI: Out there in the line, you hear people making a lot of jokes about last time.
LEPORE: They're joking about it, but if they didn't trust the machines, they wouldn't be here.
J. BELLINI (voice-over): A practice machine is available. Before voting, Grandma and Grandpa Bellini give it a go. They quickly get the hang of it.
But when the moment of truth comes, they pull back.
V. BELLINI: We're going to get absentee ballots. I think it is a lot easier.
J. BELLINI: So much for computers.
Jason Bellini, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Well, thank you to Jason and to Grandma and Grandpa Bellini for taking part in that story, as well.
Want to look at the polls now. The polling places -- there is a potential crisis in the voting process. We're not talking about the new machines or ballot fraud. Of course, it's less than a week away to the election. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers are still needed to work the polls. And many of the veteran poll workers are expecting doubts about changes in the system in what could be a record turnout.
With us in Washington to talk about the issue, DeForest Soaries is chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and commission member Ray Martinez. Gentlemen, good morning. Thanks for being here with us.
DEFOREST B. SOARIES JR., U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMM.: Good morning. Thank you for having us.
RAY MARTINEZ, U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMM.: Thanks for having us.
KAGAN: Let's start with the numbers first. A half-million poll workers short to make this election run smoothly on Tuesday.
SOARIES JR.: We believe the country needs two million poll workers to manage the process on Election Day. At best count, in 2000, we had about 1.4 million. And we thought that if the federal government did nothing, local officials could probably get another 100,000 on their own. And so, we've been working -- Commissioner Martinez with college campuses, I was corporations -- to invite them, to motivate their employees and their students to help out on November 2nd as America tries to vote.
KAGAN: But are you sure it is a half million?
SOARIES JR.: Well, at best estimate. We're going to study statistically what happens next Tuesday. But we do know that we were short of poll workers, and with the turnout being increased, with the number of voter registrants being up and with interest being high this year, coupled with the complexity of the voting place created by new laws, we think we can't have enough help on Election Day.
KAGAN: All right. Is there time to fix it, though?
SOARIES JR.: Well, sure there's time to fix it. We have college students today that we'll be visiting, and election officials have said that up to the end of this month, they will train people to prepare them to work on November 2nd.
MARTINEZ: Daryn, the other thing to consider as well is that in that piece that you all just had previously, it's important that we have people who are available who can go through a training process, who are going to be there on Election Day so that we have folks who can help to assure people -- my own parents are in their 70s and 80s, as well, and they have expressed to me their concern that if technology changes from a paper-based ballot to a computer-based ballot, that somebody is there to help them to make that transition. That piece that you all had previously is a very good example of this.
KAGAN: Well, and not just your parents and not just Jason Bellini's grandparents, but the poll workers are aging, as well. Is this right -- the average age of a poll worker in the United States is 72 years old?
SOARIES JR.: That's what we've heard all year. In some places, it's older. In other places, they've done a good job. Los Angeles County, for instance, has done a great job recruiting younger people and students.
But nationally, we have a post-World War II generation of widows and housewives that just saw it as a part of their civic duty. We have not placed as much emphasis throughout the country on this need. We've kind of deferred to the political parties to ensure that challengers are at the polls. But we need workers to get up at 4:00 in the morning, get to the firehouse, start up the machine, and sit there all day, sometimes until midnight, for about 100 bucks.
MARTINEZ: Well, and I agree with that. And the fact of the matter is that we also have increased demands upon poll workers. We have greater mandates, both the state and federal level for things to do on Election Day. Then you have the change in technology.
So, aside from the fact that we have very dedicated and loyal poll workers that are senior citizen, the fact is that we need more technology-savvy people, which is why this commissioner has put a great emphasis upon the college poll worker program.
KAGAN: Well, but let me ask you this, because this commission has been together, what, two years?
MARTINEZ: Less than that.
SOARIES JR.: One year.
KAGAN: Less than that, one year. But still, I mean, this has become like Christmas, gentlemen. We knew it was coming. We knew November 2nd was coming. Why are we down to crunch in time trying to fill these poll worker positions?
SOARIES JR.: On a local level, they've been working on it since 2000. I mean, every election official in America has known since 2000 that the 2004 election would really be two elections. One would be a referendum on the presidency. The other would be a referendum on the process.
This is the first time, however, the federal government has gotten involved to partner with local and state officials to invite corporations and federal agencies to release workers, to give people a day off with pay to help out at the polls, and so we are supplementing the work that has already happened throughout our democracy on a local and state level.
MARTINEZ: Well, and I agree with that.
KAGAN: OK, real quickly, final question, because I know someone at home right now is listening in and saying, you know what, I'm going to go do my civic duty. If they want to step up and help out, where do they go? MARTINEZ: What they should do is call their local election office, volunteer to help. And if they can't get through at that level, they should call the Election Assistance Commission. We have a 1-800 number. We have a Web site, eac.gov, and we'll give them the information to get in touch with people at the local level to volunteer. We need poll workers up until the very day before the election, Daryn. It's going to be an important critical issue.
KAGAN: All right, the word is out, and people can do their civic duty.
Ray Martinez, DeForest Soaries, thank you for your time. Good luck. You have a big job ahead of you. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Good information. Timely information, I suppose we should say.
Well, still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, take a close look, these are not tooth fairies, and They aren't leaving money under a pillow. We will explain, next.
KAGAN; And coming up next hour, the enormous price that it's costing to win your vote.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
SANCHEZ: Let's take a look at some of the other stories that are making news now from coast to coast.
KAGAN:: And for that, we begin in Rochester, New York, with a seasonal twist on balloon animals, (INAUDIBLE) Balloon Manor, where more than 50 so-called balloon artists have breathed life into the Grim Reaper and other Halloween favorites.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and the haunted house and it's 70,000 balloons will benefit a cancer center.
Well, in Palm Springs, California, thieves put the bite on this mammoth molar outside of a dental office. Once the vandals extracted the tooth however, they apparently realized how heavy it was and abandoned it a few feet from the pedestal. No word if the giant tooth fairy later came by either claim it, or maybe leave a couple of bucks.
KAGAN: Hope they used novocaine.
And in Dallas, Texas, a captured fugitive is a guest of honor at a going-away party. The judge providing the balloons and cake, presumably just desserts, for Bill Wayne Williams. He's a career criminal convicted in absentia of aggravated assault. He was on the run for a year. He now is sentenced to life in prison.
SANCHEZ: And the last thing you want to do on a day like this with the Red Sox up three games is go up to a Red Sox fan and say, oh, you guys got it. Oh, it's in the bag.
KAGAN: Well, would it be worse to do that, or to point out that the Yankees were up 3-0.
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
KAGAN: I don't know.
SANCHEZ: They're afraid. They're afraid of this Bambino thing.
KAGAN: Live in love, not in fear.
Can they break the 86-year curse? Still to come, the pressure is on for both (ph) the Boston Red Sox. Don't forget about St. Louis Cardinals fans. They're still in there.
Plus, Rick will be talking with one lucky fan who will be in the stands tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Take a look at Pedro Martinez -- pitching massively last night, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 win over St. Louis and a 3- 0 World Series lead. Martinez gave up three hits in seven innings and retired the last 14 batters he faced. And he ended with a 92-mile-an- hour fastball strike-out. The Red Sox can win their first World Series in 86 years with a victory tonight at St. Louis.
SANCHEZ: You know, we've been hearing that a lot of Red Sox fans would be wishing that their fathers or grandfathers had lived long enough to see the Red Sox actually a game away from winning the World Series. Well, there's one Massachusetts father who wanted to be sure that his seriously ill son got a chance to see the Sox in the World Series.
Joshua Young, who has cystic fibrosis, and his dad Jeff are going to make it to the game in St. Louis. And they are joining us now to tell us what's going on. Hey, Joshua, how are you?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Pretty good.
SANCHEZ: Tell me what your friends in school are saying and the friends in our neighborhood when you told them you, my friend, are going to the game.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Oh, they were wicked jealous.
SANCHEZ: Wicked jealous, right?
You know, it's kind of tough, because I know you're going through all this situation where you have to go to the hospital from time to time and they do all these tests and you're doing this physical therapy. That's kind of a pain, isn't it?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah, a little bit, but as long as it keeps me healthy. SANCHEZ: I bet you you felt pretty good, though, when you guys got the phone call from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, letting you know that you were going to be going to the game, right?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Oh, yeah. I was jumping up and down.
SANCHEZ: Was he? Jeff, was he? Dad, was he really?
JEFF YOUNG, JOSHUA'S FATHER: Yeah, he was. I could hear when I was talking to him on the phone, but I could hear on the other end he was pretty happy.
SANCHEZ: Suddenly, it was like what cystic fibrosis, right?
JEFF YOUNG: Right.
SANCHEZ: That's so great. And apparently you get a limo ride, you're getting on a plane. You got hotel accommodations. They're even giving you some spending money. I mean, how do you rate?
JEFF YOUNG: It's great. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a great organization. They put it together at the last minute really quickly, and Major League Baseball got him the tickets. It is just fantastic.
SANCHEZ: That's great. We're so happy for you guys.
Hey, let's talk a little baseball. You're going to the last game -- if they win this, it would be a sweep, end of the curse and the whole nine yards. You've got to tell me what you think is going to happen.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Oh, I think they're going all the way this year. Red Sox rule! Woo! Sweep!
SANCHEZ: You go, Joshua.
JEFF YOUNG: He wants to go buy a broom to bring to the game.
SANCHEZ: Are you going to take a broom to the game?
JEFF YOUNG: I don't think so.
JOSHUA YOUNG: I want to.
JEFF YOUNG: I think the Cardinals are going to hang in there. They're a tough team.
SANCHEZ: Who's your favorite player, Josh?
JOSHUA YOUNG: I have three -- David Ortiz, Johnny Damon, and Mark Bellhorn.
SANCHEZ: How long have you been, like, a Sox fan?
JOSHUA YOUNG: All my life.
SANCHEZ: Were you watching last year when they blew it kind of blew it against the Yankees?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah. I was very disappointed.
SANCHEZ: Yeah, I bet you were. That must have been a tough situation for you.
JEFF YOUNG: Yeah. Well, that's part of being a Red Sox fan. But this year they're much better. We think they're going to take it all.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah.
SANCHEZ: Have you gotten any calls from some of the guys at school maybe razing you a little bit? Or maybe -- I bet you you have more friends today than you did before you got this call, right?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Not really.
SANCHEZ: I mean, people -- maybe you can take me in a suitcase? I want to go with you.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah.
JEFF YOUNG: We had a couple of those.
JOSHUA YOUNG: My friend Chris Penya (ph) said "Take me in your luggage."
SANCHEZ: That's wonderful. Well, you know, I'm sure you're going to be in touch with the folks over at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They said that they made this happen really fast for you, which is wonderful. We're really happy for you. And maybe if you get a chance after the game, we'll be able to talk to you again. Let us know how it went, OK?
JEFF YOUNG: Sure.
JOSHUA YOUNG: OK.
SANCHEZ: Josh, God bless you. You too, Jeff. Thanks for being with us.
JEFF YOUNG: Thank you, Rick.
JOSHUA YOUNG: All right.
SANCHEZ: All right.
KAGAN: Wicked jealous. That is a kid from the Boston area.
SANCHEZ: He's a great kid, isn't he? Can you imagine being that age and...
KAGAN: Any age getting to go. But you know what, you can tell he is a good kid, too, and a good fan.
SANCHEZ: And he's got a good dad.
KAGAN: And look at Major League Baseball coming through for the kids. These games are on so late it's hard for the kids...
SANCHEZ: Nowadays.
KAGAN: Topic for another day.
Well, it might put damper on trick-or-treating plans, but the resort owners are not complaining. Still to come, who's getting a white Halloween.
SANCHEZ: Plus, we're going to have a look at your morning forecast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Take a look at this. It's no mere child's play in Utah. Mountains are being buried in the wettest October in 10 years. That has ski resorts planning early openings.
KAGAN: Good for them. Take a look at Brighton, which is reporting a base depth of already 55 inches. They're going to crank up their lifts on Friday, the earliest season opening in more than 20 years. Skiers happy about that.
SANCHEZ: Yeah. And what an appropriate story to lead into weather with.
KAGAN: Funny how that works. Hi, Orelon.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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 27, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up on the half hour -- actually, I think we have arrived at the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We are there. And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here is what's happening right now in the news.
With six days -- count them, folks, six days -- before the presidential election, George W. Bush takes his reelection campaign to three states today. He begins with a rally next hour in Pennsylvania. Then he travels on to Ohio, finishing off the day in the State of Michigan. All three are considered critical showdown states.
The Democratic nominee, John Kerry, is also working the battleground states. He will begin his day in Sioux City, Iowa. Then he travels on to Rochester, Minnesota, and he then returns to Iowa for an event -- for an evening event. That will take place in Cedar Rapids.
From NASA, we get a glimpse of Saturn's mysterious moon Titan. The Cassini spacecraft has begun feeding some of the images taken during a historic fly-by that swept within 745 miles of this hazy moon. Scientists admit they can only guess what they're seeing, but hope that more pictures and more data will unlock some of Titan's mysteries.
And Earth-bound skywatchers are in store for their own celestial treat. For more than an hour tonight, a total lunar eclipse will cast the moon in an orange and red glow. Viewing times are going to be late night for the North and South America, and then pre-dawn for Europe and western Africa.
KAGAN: Are you counting the days on the calendar? Only six days before the presidential election. And the parties have dispatched their ticket's number two men to stir up some votes. Bush running mate and Vice President Dick Cheney is in Florida, the state that decided it all four years ago. Cheney appeared last hour near Orlando.
Kerry running mate John Edwards is also stumping in Florida. Next hour, he stops in Clearwater to urge early voting. He has at least two other events scheduled later today in the Sunshine State.
Both the Bush and Kerry campaigns have legal teams on standby. They are ready to scramble if voting irregularities occur. Earlier this morning, we spoke to two key figures in the legal battle that erupted over the Florida election debacle that was four years ago. They share similar concerns, as you can hear, from their interviews on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID BOIES, GORE 2000 ATTORNEY: I think you have some of the same circumstances. You have a very close election. You have an election that may come down to one or two states -- Florida being very key. You have a lot of charges of partisanship going back and forth.
But I think you have a lot of things trying to resolve those issues before the election. And I hope that's successful.
THEODORE OLSON, BUSH 2000 ATTORNEY: We think not just the candidates and the candidates' supporters, but the lawyers have a responsibility to act with justice and fairness and responsibility, because the American people are watching. We are citizens of the United States. We care as much as everyone that this is done right and is not resolved in the course but resolved at the ballot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: One legal issue looms in Florida, where a federal judge ruled yesterday that election officials do not have to process incomplete registration forms. That could mean as many as 14,000 people might not be able to vote. An appeal is expected, but it's not clear if the issue will be resolved before Tuesday's election.
SANCHEZ: There are a lot of voters in Florida who are fearing a repeat of the 2000 election controversy there, especially seniors. Florida's new electronic voting machines are not necessarily giving them some comfort this time around.
Our Jason Bellini takes us to one of the polls with some early voters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ramprasad (ph) Retirement Community celebrates Election Day -- early Election Day. Victor and Roz Bellini, my grandparents, hope the pride of West Palm Beach seniors voters will be restored this time around.
In 2000, voters here became the joke of the election, many seniors claiming they accidentally voted for Pat Buchanan. To blame -- the infamous butterfly ballot. Remember those hanging and pregnant chads? Florida seniors haven't forgotten them either.
(on camera): Are you ready to vote?
ROZ BELLINI: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody has their -- either driver's license or their voter's registration card.
J. BELLINI (voice-over): This time, Florida hopes early voting and electronic voting will prevent another train wreck.
R. BELLINI: You only vote for one.
VICTOR BELLINI: Vote for one, right.
J. BELLINI (on camera): No, you vote for three, just like last time.
(voice-over): Here in large numbers to do their patriotic duty...
V. BELLINI: I don't know whether I got the patience for it.
J. BELLINI: The seniors can hardly contain their excitement.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the thing is I could care less. I'm at that point. I don't like either of them.
V. BELLINI: Roz, isn't that LePore right there?
J. BELLINI: Grandpa spots none other than Teresa LePore, the supervisor of elections who created the 2000 butterfly ballot.
V. BELLINI: She made a big mistake, not only for herself but the whole country.
J. BELLINI (on camera): And this is Grandpa Bellini.
TERESA LEPORE, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, PALM BEACH CO., FLORIDA: For once, grandpa bites his tongue.
J. BELLINI: Out there in the line, you hear people making a lot of jokes about last time.
LEPORE: They're joking about it, but if they didn't trust the machines, they wouldn't be here.
J. BELLINI (voice-over): A practice machine is available. Before voting, Grandma and Grandpa Bellini give it a go. They quickly get the hang of it.
But when the moment of truth comes, they pull back.
V. BELLINI: We're going to get absentee ballots. I think it is a lot easier.
J. BELLINI: So much for computers.
Jason Bellini, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Well, thank you to Jason and to Grandma and Grandpa Bellini for taking part in that story, as well.
Want to look at the polls now. The polling places -- there is a potential crisis in the voting process. We're not talking about the new machines or ballot fraud. Of course, it's less than a week away to the election. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers are still needed to work the polls. And many of the veteran poll workers are expecting doubts about changes in the system in what could be a record turnout.
With us in Washington to talk about the issue, DeForest Soaries is chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and commission member Ray Martinez. Gentlemen, good morning. Thanks for being here with us.
DEFOREST B. SOARIES JR., U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMM.: Good morning. Thank you for having us.
RAY MARTINEZ, U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMM.: Thanks for having us.
KAGAN: Let's start with the numbers first. A half-million poll workers short to make this election run smoothly on Tuesday.
SOARIES JR.: We believe the country needs two million poll workers to manage the process on Election Day. At best count, in 2000, we had about 1.4 million. And we thought that if the federal government did nothing, local officials could probably get another 100,000 on their own. And so, we've been working -- Commissioner Martinez with college campuses, I was corporations -- to invite them, to motivate their employees and their students to help out on November 2nd as America tries to vote.
KAGAN: But are you sure it is a half million?
SOARIES JR.: Well, at best estimate. We're going to study statistically what happens next Tuesday. But we do know that we were short of poll workers, and with the turnout being increased, with the number of voter registrants being up and with interest being high this year, coupled with the complexity of the voting place created by new laws, we think we can't have enough help on Election Day.
KAGAN: All right. Is there time to fix it, though?
SOARIES JR.: Well, sure there's time to fix it. We have college students today that we'll be visiting, and election officials have said that up to the end of this month, they will train people to prepare them to work on November 2nd.
MARTINEZ: Daryn, the other thing to consider as well is that in that piece that you all just had previously, it's important that we have people who are available who can go through a training process, who are going to be there on Election Day so that we have folks who can help to assure people -- my own parents are in their 70s and 80s, as well, and they have expressed to me their concern that if technology changes from a paper-based ballot to a computer-based ballot, that somebody is there to help them to make that transition. That piece that you all had previously is a very good example of this.
KAGAN: Well, and not just your parents and not just Jason Bellini's grandparents, but the poll workers are aging, as well. Is this right -- the average age of a poll worker in the United States is 72 years old?
SOARIES JR.: That's what we've heard all year. In some places, it's older. In other places, they've done a good job. Los Angeles County, for instance, has done a great job recruiting younger people and students.
But nationally, we have a post-World War II generation of widows and housewives that just saw it as a part of their civic duty. We have not placed as much emphasis throughout the country on this need. We've kind of deferred to the political parties to ensure that challengers are at the polls. But we need workers to get up at 4:00 in the morning, get to the firehouse, start up the machine, and sit there all day, sometimes until midnight, for about 100 bucks.
MARTINEZ: Well, and I agree with that. And the fact of the matter is that we also have increased demands upon poll workers. We have greater mandates, both the state and federal level for things to do on Election Day. Then you have the change in technology.
So, aside from the fact that we have very dedicated and loyal poll workers that are senior citizen, the fact is that we need more technology-savvy people, which is why this commissioner has put a great emphasis upon the college poll worker program.
KAGAN: Well, but let me ask you this, because this commission has been together, what, two years?
MARTINEZ: Less than that.
SOARIES JR.: One year.
KAGAN: Less than that, one year. But still, I mean, this has become like Christmas, gentlemen. We knew it was coming. We knew November 2nd was coming. Why are we down to crunch in time trying to fill these poll worker positions?
SOARIES JR.: On a local level, they've been working on it since 2000. I mean, every election official in America has known since 2000 that the 2004 election would really be two elections. One would be a referendum on the presidency. The other would be a referendum on the process.
This is the first time, however, the federal government has gotten involved to partner with local and state officials to invite corporations and federal agencies to release workers, to give people a day off with pay to help out at the polls, and so we are supplementing the work that has already happened throughout our democracy on a local and state level.
MARTINEZ: Well, and I agree with that.
KAGAN: OK, real quickly, final question, because I know someone at home right now is listening in and saying, you know what, I'm going to go do my civic duty. If they want to step up and help out, where do they go? MARTINEZ: What they should do is call their local election office, volunteer to help. And if they can't get through at that level, they should call the Election Assistance Commission. We have a 1-800 number. We have a Web site, eac.gov, and we'll give them the information to get in touch with people at the local level to volunteer. We need poll workers up until the very day before the election, Daryn. It's going to be an important critical issue.
KAGAN: All right, the word is out, and people can do their civic duty.
Ray Martinez, DeForest Soaries, thank you for your time. Good luck. You have a big job ahead of you. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Good information. Timely information, I suppose we should say.
Well, still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, take a close look, these are not tooth fairies, and They aren't leaving money under a pillow. We will explain, next.
KAGAN; And coming up next hour, the enormous price that it's costing to win your vote.
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(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
SANCHEZ: Let's take a look at some of the other stories that are making news now from coast to coast.
KAGAN:: And for that, we begin in Rochester, New York, with a seasonal twist on balloon animals, (INAUDIBLE) Balloon Manor, where more than 50 so-called balloon artists have breathed life into the Grim Reaper and other Halloween favorites.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and the haunted house and it's 70,000 balloons will benefit a cancer center.
Well, in Palm Springs, California, thieves put the bite on this mammoth molar outside of a dental office. Once the vandals extracted the tooth however, they apparently realized how heavy it was and abandoned it a few feet from the pedestal. No word if the giant tooth fairy later came by either claim it, or maybe leave a couple of bucks.
KAGAN: Hope they used novocaine.
And in Dallas, Texas, a captured fugitive is a guest of honor at a going-away party. The judge providing the balloons and cake, presumably just desserts, for Bill Wayne Williams. He's a career criminal convicted in absentia of aggravated assault. He was on the run for a year. He now is sentenced to life in prison.
SANCHEZ: And the last thing you want to do on a day like this with the Red Sox up three games is go up to a Red Sox fan and say, oh, you guys got it. Oh, it's in the bag.
KAGAN: Well, would it be worse to do that, or to point out that the Yankees were up 3-0.
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
KAGAN: I don't know.
SANCHEZ: They're afraid. They're afraid of this Bambino thing.
KAGAN: Live in love, not in fear.
Can they break the 86-year curse? Still to come, the pressure is on for both (ph) the Boston Red Sox. Don't forget about St. Louis Cardinals fans. They're still in there.
Plus, Rick will be talking with one lucky fan who will be in the stands tonight.
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KAGAN: Take a look at Pedro Martinez -- pitching massively last night, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 win over St. Louis and a 3- 0 World Series lead. Martinez gave up three hits in seven innings and retired the last 14 batters he faced. And he ended with a 92-mile-an- hour fastball strike-out. The Red Sox can win their first World Series in 86 years with a victory tonight at St. Louis.
SANCHEZ: You know, we've been hearing that a lot of Red Sox fans would be wishing that their fathers or grandfathers had lived long enough to see the Red Sox actually a game away from winning the World Series. Well, there's one Massachusetts father who wanted to be sure that his seriously ill son got a chance to see the Sox in the World Series.
Joshua Young, who has cystic fibrosis, and his dad Jeff are going to make it to the game in St. Louis. And they are joining us now to tell us what's going on. Hey, Joshua, how are you?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Pretty good.
SANCHEZ: Tell me what your friends in school are saying and the friends in our neighborhood when you told them you, my friend, are going to the game.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Oh, they were wicked jealous.
SANCHEZ: Wicked jealous, right?
You know, it's kind of tough, because I know you're going through all this situation where you have to go to the hospital from time to time and they do all these tests and you're doing this physical therapy. That's kind of a pain, isn't it?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah, a little bit, but as long as it keeps me healthy. SANCHEZ: I bet you you felt pretty good, though, when you guys got the phone call from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, letting you know that you were going to be going to the game, right?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Oh, yeah. I was jumping up and down.
SANCHEZ: Was he? Jeff, was he? Dad, was he really?
JEFF YOUNG, JOSHUA'S FATHER: Yeah, he was. I could hear when I was talking to him on the phone, but I could hear on the other end he was pretty happy.
SANCHEZ: Suddenly, it was like what cystic fibrosis, right?
JEFF YOUNG: Right.
SANCHEZ: That's so great. And apparently you get a limo ride, you're getting on a plane. You got hotel accommodations. They're even giving you some spending money. I mean, how do you rate?
JEFF YOUNG: It's great. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a great organization. They put it together at the last minute really quickly, and Major League Baseball got him the tickets. It is just fantastic.
SANCHEZ: That's great. We're so happy for you guys.
Hey, let's talk a little baseball. You're going to the last game -- if they win this, it would be a sweep, end of the curse and the whole nine yards. You've got to tell me what you think is going to happen.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Oh, I think they're going all the way this year. Red Sox rule! Woo! Sweep!
SANCHEZ: You go, Joshua.
JEFF YOUNG: He wants to go buy a broom to bring to the game.
SANCHEZ: Are you going to take a broom to the game?
JEFF YOUNG: I don't think so.
JOSHUA YOUNG: I want to.
JEFF YOUNG: I think the Cardinals are going to hang in there. They're a tough team.
SANCHEZ: Who's your favorite player, Josh?
JOSHUA YOUNG: I have three -- David Ortiz, Johnny Damon, and Mark Bellhorn.
SANCHEZ: How long have you been, like, a Sox fan?
JOSHUA YOUNG: All my life.
SANCHEZ: Were you watching last year when they blew it kind of blew it against the Yankees?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah. I was very disappointed.
SANCHEZ: Yeah, I bet you were. That must have been a tough situation for you.
JEFF YOUNG: Yeah. Well, that's part of being a Red Sox fan. But this year they're much better. We think they're going to take it all.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah.
SANCHEZ: Have you gotten any calls from some of the guys at school maybe razing you a little bit? Or maybe -- I bet you you have more friends today than you did before you got this call, right?
JOSHUA YOUNG: Not really.
SANCHEZ: I mean, people -- maybe you can take me in a suitcase? I want to go with you.
JOSHUA YOUNG: Yeah.
JEFF YOUNG: We had a couple of those.
JOSHUA YOUNG: My friend Chris Penya (ph) said "Take me in your luggage."
SANCHEZ: That's wonderful. Well, you know, I'm sure you're going to be in touch with the folks over at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They said that they made this happen really fast for you, which is wonderful. We're really happy for you. And maybe if you get a chance after the game, we'll be able to talk to you again. Let us know how it went, OK?
JEFF YOUNG: Sure.
JOSHUA YOUNG: OK.
SANCHEZ: Josh, God bless you. You too, Jeff. Thanks for being with us.
JEFF YOUNG: Thank you, Rick.
JOSHUA YOUNG: All right.
SANCHEZ: All right.
KAGAN: Wicked jealous. That is a kid from the Boston area.
SANCHEZ: He's a great kid, isn't he? Can you imagine being that age and...
KAGAN: Any age getting to go. But you know what, you can tell he is a good kid, too, and a good fan.
SANCHEZ: And he's got a good dad.
KAGAN: And look at Major League Baseball coming through for the kids. These games are on so late it's hard for the kids...
SANCHEZ: Nowadays.
KAGAN: Topic for another day.
Well, it might put damper on trick-or-treating plans, but the resort owners are not complaining. Still to come, who's getting a white Halloween.
SANCHEZ: Plus, we're going to have a look at your morning forecast.
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SANCHEZ: Take a look at this. It's no mere child's play in Utah. Mountains are being buried in the wettest October in 10 years. That has ski resorts planning early openings.
KAGAN: Good for them. Take a look at Brighton, which is reporting a base depth of already 55 inches. They're going to crank up their lifts on Friday, the earliest season opening in more than 20 years. Skiers happy about that.
SANCHEZ: Yeah. And what an appropriate story to lead into weather with.
KAGAN: Funny how that works. Hi, Orelon.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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