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CNN Live Today
Last Day of Early Voting; Legal Battles Loom Over Tuesday's Election
Aired November 01, 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: We're going to get back to the election. There probably won't be any hanging or pregnant chads this election year, but there are missing ballots and allegations of fraud.
That's still to come, a look at the election issues in states from coast to coast.
And coming up next hour, we talk to one man who has met Osama bin Laden face to face, hear what he has to say about the terrorist's latest videotape.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We are just a few minutes past the half hour. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Here's what's happening right now in the news.
KAGAN: Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist is missing from the bench this morning as he continues to recover from surgery for thyroid cancer. The 80-year-old Rehnquist was released from the hospital on Friday after a week of treatment. In a statement, Rehnquist says that he is staying home to recuperate at the suggestion of his doctors.
The polls are close, the candidates are hoarse, and campaign 2004 is sprinting to a frantic close. Both President Bush and Senator Kerry are taking it down to the final handshake, looking for the undecided voters, especially in the Midwest. We have updates from all across the country, coming up throughout the next half hour.
From his hospital bed in Paris, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is condemning the latest suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. At least three people are dead and 35 wounded in today's attack on the open-air (INAUDIBLE) market. A radical PLO faction is claiming responsibility.
To Iraq: Two government officials have been assassinated in separate attacks. Early today, a deputy governor of Baghdad was killed in a drive-by shooting while on his way to work. Later gunmen shot and killed an interior minister official in Baquba.
Health officials from all over the world gather in Geneva next week to ponder vaccine shortages and a possible flu pandemic. The head of the World Health Organization says the world may be on the brink of a deadly pandemic of the sort that has occurred every 20 or 30 years. He said, as things stand now, there wouldn't be enough vaccines or antivirals to fight it.
SANCHEZ: Florida voters apparently motivated by the debacle of the last presidential election are casting early votes in record numbers. More than 1.8 million Floridians have cast their ballots through early or Absentee voting. That's nearly 2.5 times the number who did so four years ago.
This is the last day of early voting, and last-minute problems have ranged from undelivered or delayed absentee ballots to allegations of fraud. Now both Mr. Bush and Senator Kerry will campaign in Ohio in this, the final day of campaigning. Both were also in battleground states yesterday, well aware that it is there, in places like Ohio, that the election could be decided.
Here's CNN's Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The final push for battleground Ohio. The war for votes is door to door -- and face to face.
SANDY DUNLAP (ph): Hi, I'm Sandy Dunlap (ph) and I'm out walking for President George W. Bush.
JOHNS: Both campaigns have deployed thousands of volunteers to get their voters to the polls; the targets, persuadable and undecided voters, and especially the party faithful.
JEN PALMIERI, KERRY CAMPAIGN, OHIO: You have such a limited time, as your time gets more and more limited, you have to think about where your time is best spent. Well, it is best spent in our base precincts.
JOHNS: The Kerry camp is working from an old fire station.
A few miles away, the Bush camp is working the phones from a downtown office building.
DAVE BECKWITH, RNC SPOKESMAN: Everything is ramped up by a factor of three or more. We have more volunteers, more signs, more contacts, more phone calls, everything is faster and bigger.
JOHNS (on camera): Polls show the race extremely close and with almost 800,000 new registrations and requests for absentee ballots up dramatically, it could come down to which side does the best job in the ground game.
(voice-over): Republicans say their worried about fraud because mailings they sent to new registrants came back undeliverable. They say they'll have thousands who could challenge questionable voters at the polls.
MARK WEAVER, OHIO GOP ATTORNEY: Piles and piles and piles of fictitious, fraudulent and erroneous voter registration cards. Someone out there is trying to steal this Ohio election.
The Ohio Republican Party feels strongly that we should not stand by and let that happen.
JOHNS: Democrats are training thousands to respond to challenges. Democrats allowed cameras briefly into this training session. There are fears that disagreements over registration could lead to long lines on Tuesday.
Many of the voters, like Gina Rizzo and Karen Fitzsimmons, know who they will vote for and hope it will all go smoothly.
KAREN FITZSIMMONS, OHIO VOTER: I'm worried that it is not going to all happen and come together by November 3. I think that there is going to be lawsuits and a lot of attorneys. And that is pretty upsetting. It is sort like can we ever have a fair election anymore?
JOHNS: With only hours to go, neither side is taking anything for granted.
Joe Johns, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: From Ohio to Alaska, from Florida to Arizona, there are a number of election issues that face judgment in the courts, and with polls showing a statistical dead heat, any ruling could carry a huge impact.
To explain, let's bring in our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Jeff, good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: D.K., how're you doing? You ready to go?
KAGAN:: I am pumped up. Rick and I are going to be up all night tomorrow night, and we just think that's just the greatest thing in the world. No, we do, we're excited.
Let's talk about Ohio first. What's going on there? A challenge to the challenger situation.
TOOBIN: Exactly. Incredible. Court sessions on Sunday, yesterday, led to two very important decisions out of two different federal courts in Ohio, saying that the challengers, who had planned to be inside the polling places, according to Ohio law, that process is unconstitutional according to these two federal judges. The judges said the chances of intimidation, especially of minority voters, of delay, make that process unconstitutional.
So, the Republicans, who were the big backers of this process, have lost this round. They've asked the Federal Court of Appeals to intervene and overturn this decision. But at least for the moment, those challengers will not be inside the polling places, and that, the Democrats say, is a victory for them.
KAGAN: All right. And huge 20 electoral votes up for grabs in Ohio.
Let's talk about these S.W.A.T. teams of lawyers that are just standing by. Literally, both sides, thousands of lawyers ready to get on a plane and go?
TOOBIN: I mean, it's really extraordinary. Four years ago, you know, I covered the recount. One of the interesting things was that everybody was improvising on the fly. They had no idea that lawyers or anyone would be needed after the polls closed.
Here, completely different scenario. The Democrats say -- sometimes they say they have four planes ready to go. Sometimes they have six planes ready to go. The Republicans are playing it closer to the vest, but you can be sure they're ready. They are ready to fight if this election is close -- both in the electoral college and in the number of states that might swing it either way.
You know, a lot of people think that this simply will not end tomorrow night, and the lawyers are ready to go.
KAGAN: Which means the trail might eventually, like 2000, lead to the Supreme Court. Any concern that we see Chief Justice William Rehnquist not going to work. He said that that apparently was a little too optimistic to think he can make it back by today.
TOOBIN: You know, he also said in his statement, Daryn, that he is getting radiation and chemotherapy. He's an 80-year-old man. This is obviously a very serious medical situation.
Also, the Supreme Court, unlike some courts, never brings in substitutes. So, there will be only eight members on the court raising the possibility that any decision reached by a lower court would be affirmed by a 4-4 margin. Keep in mind if Chief Justice Rehnquist was not sitting in Bush V. Gore, the decision in the Florida Supreme Court four years ago would have stood, the recount would have continued, Al Gore might have been running for re-election today. So, it's potentially very significant.
KAGAN: A lot of woulda, coulda, shouldas.
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
KAGAN: Interesting stuff. Jeff Toobin, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of you over the next few days.
TOOBIN: OK.
KAGAN: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: And there's a lot of questions. Where do you challenge? What do you challenge? For how long do you challenge?
KAGAN: How much tolerance do the American people have this time around for challenge?
SANCHEZ: Yeah. It will be fun to watch. And we'll be here watching it for you.
Well, a final wish by one Texas man won't leave him forgotten this election.
KAGAN: Still to come, how early voting helped him to fulfill his last request.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back, everyone, on this Election Eve. I'm Rick Sanchez here with Daryn Kagan.
KAGAN: How about a look at the markets with Rhonda Schaffler.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KAGAN: All right, Rhonda. Thank you for that.
It is an important election. A final wish -- a man in Texas cast his vote in this year's election despite some very difficult circumstances. Chau Nguyen of our CNN affiliate KHOU brings us this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAU NGUYEN, REPORTER, KHOU (voice-over): For the Dimmicks, choosing a marker for their father was the final act of saying goodbye.
RUTH DIMMICK, WIFE: He liked greenery.
NGUYEN: Bob Dimmick, father of four, husband of 46 years, died of heart failure last Sunday.
R. DIMMICK: The responsibility was a major, major issue to him.
NGUYEN: So, just before he died, wife Ruth tells us Dimmick insisted on settling one last matter.
(on camera): Bob Dimmick would come here to the Barbara Bush Library. And just like these early voters, Dimmick wanted to vote.
(voice-over): So, in an ambulance, Dimmick's wish was granted. He cast his early ballot with the help of a poll worker. Hours later, the 64-year-old slipped into a coma.
R. DIMMICK: His sense of protection for his family was so strong that voting was also a sense of protection to help make sure that the right person is in the White House.
NGUYEN: The Dimmicks say their dad didn't miss one election in his lifetime.
MICHAEL DIMMICK, SON: I'm very proud of him, but I'm not surprised by it, either.
NGUYEN: Not surprised, because he lived by example.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that was Chau Nguyen from our CNN affiliate KHOU.
SANCHEZ: Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, a lot of voters means a lot of information that's going to be coming your way.
KAGAN: Wolf Blitzer goes behind the scenes to show you how we plan to bring you the most updated information available tomorrow night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Want to show you some pictures we're getting in from our affiliate KETV, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Flames from a gas explosion. This, by the way, is considered one of the busiest urban intersections in the state, and this is the part of west Little Rock.
SANCHEZ: Apparently it happened when a construction crew hit a gas main. That's what started the fire suddenly. Firefighters, we understand, as you can see there for yourself, just to the right of your screen, are still there, staying a good distance away from it.
KAGAN: That's a good idea.
SANCHEZ: Yes, trying to just put water on it. Here's some pictures earlier on when it first happened, just as firefighters were getting to the scene. My goodness, how'd you like to come upon that?
KAGAN: The good news is no injuries reported.
SANCHEZ: That is the best.
KAGAN: Interesting pictures, though.
Hey, how about some interesting pictures? Election night, this, CNN is the place to be on election night 2004. One reason, wall-to- wall coverage.
SANCHEZ: There's a little show-and-tell that we're going to do for you right now from the best team in the business, led by none other than election anchor Paul -- I mean Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn. They've got an inside look for you. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let me give you a little tour of our CNN election headquarters. You're among the first to actually see what we're going to be doing. Behind me, you see this Nasdaq wall. We've got all these video screens, an incredible amount of information we can put up here, and you'll see a lot what's going on as the election returns come in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we'll all be sitting on the edge of our seat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I think it will be tight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some big news. See what happens with Florida this year.
BLITZER: Florida, 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Once those polls close in Florida, we may be able to project the winner. But guess what? We may not be able to project a winner. And this time around, we're not taking any chances.
DAVID BOHRMAN, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: There's a new system for calling that we trust, but then there's a layer on top that says examine everything that they're doing and try to disprove it, and then we add in the dynamics of lawyers. Sort of like what Ronald Reagan used to say, trust, but verify.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And the states that take the longest may be the ones that Bush and Kerry most need to win.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, states the Kerry campaign is watching very closely.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: So they'll be looking at Florida, and they'll be looking at Ohio, which is in the Eastern Time Zone, two big states. He has to win at least one of those two, probably both of them.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: I have people from both the Kerry and the Bush camps, telling me that it is going to be over before early at night. I'm not buying that yet.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: My hunch is nobody's going to sleep very early Tuesday night.
ZAHN: Down at Times Square, people already know what they're looking for on election night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm a Bush man all the way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need a change in this country, so I'm going to vote for Kerry.
ZAHN: And if that's not enough, don't forget the Electoral College, governors, Senate and House.
BLITZER: When I tell you we will have wall-to-wall coverage, on election day, we really mean wall-to-wall coverage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: There you go. Then we're going to be coming on at 2:00 a.m.
KAGAN: Yes, it's a nice warm-up act, don't you think, for the real act at 2:00 a.m. SANCHEZ: Well said.
KAGAN: It's only 11:00 p.m. on the West Coast.
SANCHEZ: Which is very important.
KAGAN: There you go.
SANCHEZ: Those folks that will still be -- I want to know.
KAGAN: And we'll have it for them.
SANCHEZ: Stay with us, a quick check on your Monday morning forecast, after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: So you're new to Atlanta. I got to tell you, most years on November 1st, it is not 80 degrees here.
SANCHEZ: But you know what, a month ago it was really cold.
KAGAN: yes, this is very unusual, trick-or-treating in sleeveless shirts, who ever heard of such a thing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Polls, polls and more polls. Next, political analyst Bill Schneider brings us up to speed on that.
SANCHEZ: Also a look at the West. California proposition is making waves.
And the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 November 1, 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: We're going to get back to the election. There probably won't be any hanging or pregnant chads this election year, but there are missing ballots and allegations of fraud.
That's still to come, a look at the election issues in states from coast to coast.
And coming up next hour, we talk to one man who has met Osama bin Laden face to face, hear what he has to say about the terrorist's latest videotape.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We are just a few minutes past the half hour. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Here's what's happening right now in the news.
KAGAN: Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist is missing from the bench this morning as he continues to recover from surgery for thyroid cancer. The 80-year-old Rehnquist was released from the hospital on Friday after a week of treatment. In a statement, Rehnquist says that he is staying home to recuperate at the suggestion of his doctors.
The polls are close, the candidates are hoarse, and campaign 2004 is sprinting to a frantic close. Both President Bush and Senator Kerry are taking it down to the final handshake, looking for the undecided voters, especially in the Midwest. We have updates from all across the country, coming up throughout the next half hour.
From his hospital bed in Paris, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is condemning the latest suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. At least three people are dead and 35 wounded in today's attack on the open-air (INAUDIBLE) market. A radical PLO faction is claiming responsibility.
To Iraq: Two government officials have been assassinated in separate attacks. Early today, a deputy governor of Baghdad was killed in a drive-by shooting while on his way to work. Later gunmen shot and killed an interior minister official in Baquba.
Health officials from all over the world gather in Geneva next week to ponder vaccine shortages and a possible flu pandemic. The head of the World Health Organization says the world may be on the brink of a deadly pandemic of the sort that has occurred every 20 or 30 years. He said, as things stand now, there wouldn't be enough vaccines or antivirals to fight it.
SANCHEZ: Florida voters apparently motivated by the debacle of the last presidential election are casting early votes in record numbers. More than 1.8 million Floridians have cast their ballots through early or Absentee voting. That's nearly 2.5 times the number who did so four years ago.
This is the last day of early voting, and last-minute problems have ranged from undelivered or delayed absentee ballots to allegations of fraud. Now both Mr. Bush and Senator Kerry will campaign in Ohio in this, the final day of campaigning. Both were also in battleground states yesterday, well aware that it is there, in places like Ohio, that the election could be decided.
Here's CNN's Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The final push for battleground Ohio. The war for votes is door to door -- and face to face.
SANDY DUNLAP (ph): Hi, I'm Sandy Dunlap (ph) and I'm out walking for President George W. Bush.
JOHNS: Both campaigns have deployed thousands of volunteers to get their voters to the polls; the targets, persuadable and undecided voters, and especially the party faithful.
JEN PALMIERI, KERRY CAMPAIGN, OHIO: You have such a limited time, as your time gets more and more limited, you have to think about where your time is best spent. Well, it is best spent in our base precincts.
JOHNS: The Kerry camp is working from an old fire station.
A few miles away, the Bush camp is working the phones from a downtown office building.
DAVE BECKWITH, RNC SPOKESMAN: Everything is ramped up by a factor of three or more. We have more volunteers, more signs, more contacts, more phone calls, everything is faster and bigger.
JOHNS (on camera): Polls show the race extremely close and with almost 800,000 new registrations and requests for absentee ballots up dramatically, it could come down to which side does the best job in the ground game.
(voice-over): Republicans say their worried about fraud because mailings they sent to new registrants came back undeliverable. They say they'll have thousands who could challenge questionable voters at the polls.
MARK WEAVER, OHIO GOP ATTORNEY: Piles and piles and piles of fictitious, fraudulent and erroneous voter registration cards. Someone out there is trying to steal this Ohio election.
The Ohio Republican Party feels strongly that we should not stand by and let that happen.
JOHNS: Democrats are training thousands to respond to challenges. Democrats allowed cameras briefly into this training session. There are fears that disagreements over registration could lead to long lines on Tuesday.
Many of the voters, like Gina Rizzo and Karen Fitzsimmons, know who they will vote for and hope it will all go smoothly.
KAREN FITZSIMMONS, OHIO VOTER: I'm worried that it is not going to all happen and come together by November 3. I think that there is going to be lawsuits and a lot of attorneys. And that is pretty upsetting. It is sort like can we ever have a fair election anymore?
JOHNS: With only hours to go, neither side is taking anything for granted.
Joe Johns, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: From Ohio to Alaska, from Florida to Arizona, there are a number of election issues that face judgment in the courts, and with polls showing a statistical dead heat, any ruling could carry a huge impact.
To explain, let's bring in our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Jeff, good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: D.K., how're you doing? You ready to go?
KAGAN:: I am pumped up. Rick and I are going to be up all night tomorrow night, and we just think that's just the greatest thing in the world. No, we do, we're excited.
Let's talk about Ohio first. What's going on there? A challenge to the challenger situation.
TOOBIN: Exactly. Incredible. Court sessions on Sunday, yesterday, led to two very important decisions out of two different federal courts in Ohio, saying that the challengers, who had planned to be inside the polling places, according to Ohio law, that process is unconstitutional according to these two federal judges. The judges said the chances of intimidation, especially of minority voters, of delay, make that process unconstitutional.
So, the Republicans, who were the big backers of this process, have lost this round. They've asked the Federal Court of Appeals to intervene and overturn this decision. But at least for the moment, those challengers will not be inside the polling places, and that, the Democrats say, is a victory for them.
KAGAN: All right. And huge 20 electoral votes up for grabs in Ohio.
Let's talk about these S.W.A.T. teams of lawyers that are just standing by. Literally, both sides, thousands of lawyers ready to get on a plane and go?
TOOBIN: I mean, it's really extraordinary. Four years ago, you know, I covered the recount. One of the interesting things was that everybody was improvising on the fly. They had no idea that lawyers or anyone would be needed after the polls closed.
Here, completely different scenario. The Democrats say -- sometimes they say they have four planes ready to go. Sometimes they have six planes ready to go. The Republicans are playing it closer to the vest, but you can be sure they're ready. They are ready to fight if this election is close -- both in the electoral college and in the number of states that might swing it either way.
You know, a lot of people think that this simply will not end tomorrow night, and the lawyers are ready to go.
KAGAN: Which means the trail might eventually, like 2000, lead to the Supreme Court. Any concern that we see Chief Justice William Rehnquist not going to work. He said that that apparently was a little too optimistic to think he can make it back by today.
TOOBIN: You know, he also said in his statement, Daryn, that he is getting radiation and chemotherapy. He's an 80-year-old man. This is obviously a very serious medical situation.
Also, the Supreme Court, unlike some courts, never brings in substitutes. So, there will be only eight members on the court raising the possibility that any decision reached by a lower court would be affirmed by a 4-4 margin. Keep in mind if Chief Justice Rehnquist was not sitting in Bush V. Gore, the decision in the Florida Supreme Court four years ago would have stood, the recount would have continued, Al Gore might have been running for re-election today. So, it's potentially very significant.
KAGAN: A lot of woulda, coulda, shouldas.
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
KAGAN: Interesting stuff. Jeff Toobin, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of you over the next few days.
TOOBIN: OK.
KAGAN: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: And there's a lot of questions. Where do you challenge? What do you challenge? For how long do you challenge?
KAGAN: How much tolerance do the American people have this time around for challenge?
SANCHEZ: Yeah. It will be fun to watch. And we'll be here watching it for you.
Well, a final wish by one Texas man won't leave him forgotten this election.
KAGAN: Still to come, how early voting helped him to fulfill his last request.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back, everyone, on this Election Eve. I'm Rick Sanchez here with Daryn Kagan.
KAGAN: How about a look at the markets with Rhonda Schaffler.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KAGAN: All right, Rhonda. Thank you for that.
It is an important election. A final wish -- a man in Texas cast his vote in this year's election despite some very difficult circumstances. Chau Nguyen of our CNN affiliate KHOU brings us this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAU NGUYEN, REPORTER, KHOU (voice-over): For the Dimmicks, choosing a marker for their father was the final act of saying goodbye.
RUTH DIMMICK, WIFE: He liked greenery.
NGUYEN: Bob Dimmick, father of four, husband of 46 years, died of heart failure last Sunday.
R. DIMMICK: The responsibility was a major, major issue to him.
NGUYEN: So, just before he died, wife Ruth tells us Dimmick insisted on settling one last matter.
(on camera): Bob Dimmick would come here to the Barbara Bush Library. And just like these early voters, Dimmick wanted to vote.
(voice-over): So, in an ambulance, Dimmick's wish was granted. He cast his early ballot with the help of a poll worker. Hours later, the 64-year-old slipped into a coma.
R. DIMMICK: His sense of protection for his family was so strong that voting was also a sense of protection to help make sure that the right person is in the White House.
NGUYEN: The Dimmicks say their dad didn't miss one election in his lifetime.
MICHAEL DIMMICK, SON: I'm very proud of him, but I'm not surprised by it, either.
NGUYEN: Not surprised, because he lived by example.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that was Chau Nguyen from our CNN affiliate KHOU.
SANCHEZ: Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, a lot of voters means a lot of information that's going to be coming your way.
KAGAN: Wolf Blitzer goes behind the scenes to show you how we plan to bring you the most updated information available tomorrow night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Want to show you some pictures we're getting in from our affiliate KETV, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Flames from a gas explosion. This, by the way, is considered one of the busiest urban intersections in the state, and this is the part of west Little Rock.
SANCHEZ: Apparently it happened when a construction crew hit a gas main. That's what started the fire suddenly. Firefighters, we understand, as you can see there for yourself, just to the right of your screen, are still there, staying a good distance away from it.
KAGAN: That's a good idea.
SANCHEZ: Yes, trying to just put water on it. Here's some pictures earlier on when it first happened, just as firefighters were getting to the scene. My goodness, how'd you like to come upon that?
KAGAN: The good news is no injuries reported.
SANCHEZ: That is the best.
KAGAN: Interesting pictures, though.
Hey, how about some interesting pictures? Election night, this, CNN is the place to be on election night 2004. One reason, wall-to- wall coverage.
SANCHEZ: There's a little show-and-tell that we're going to do for you right now from the best team in the business, led by none other than election anchor Paul -- I mean Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn. They've got an inside look for you. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let me give you a little tour of our CNN election headquarters. You're among the first to actually see what we're going to be doing. Behind me, you see this Nasdaq wall. We've got all these video screens, an incredible amount of information we can put up here, and you'll see a lot what's going on as the election returns come in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we'll all be sitting on the edge of our seat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I think it will be tight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some big news. See what happens with Florida this year.
BLITZER: Florida, 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Once those polls close in Florida, we may be able to project the winner. But guess what? We may not be able to project a winner. And this time around, we're not taking any chances.
DAVID BOHRMAN, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: There's a new system for calling that we trust, but then there's a layer on top that says examine everything that they're doing and try to disprove it, and then we add in the dynamics of lawyers. Sort of like what Ronald Reagan used to say, trust, but verify.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And the states that take the longest may be the ones that Bush and Kerry most need to win.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, states the Kerry campaign is watching very closely.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: So they'll be looking at Florida, and they'll be looking at Ohio, which is in the Eastern Time Zone, two big states. He has to win at least one of those two, probably both of them.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: I have people from both the Kerry and the Bush camps, telling me that it is going to be over before early at night. I'm not buying that yet.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: My hunch is nobody's going to sleep very early Tuesday night.
ZAHN: Down at Times Square, people already know what they're looking for on election night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm a Bush man all the way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need a change in this country, so I'm going to vote for Kerry.
ZAHN: And if that's not enough, don't forget the Electoral College, governors, Senate and House.
BLITZER: When I tell you we will have wall-to-wall coverage, on election day, we really mean wall-to-wall coverage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: There you go. Then we're going to be coming on at 2:00 a.m.
KAGAN: Yes, it's a nice warm-up act, don't you think, for the real act at 2:00 a.m. SANCHEZ: Well said.
KAGAN: It's only 11:00 p.m. on the West Coast.
SANCHEZ: Which is very important.
KAGAN: There you go.
SANCHEZ: Those folks that will still be -- I want to know.
KAGAN: And we'll have it for them.
SANCHEZ: Stay with us, a quick check on your Monday morning forecast, after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: So you're new to Atlanta. I got to tell you, most years on November 1st, it is not 80 degrees here.
SANCHEZ: But you know what, a month ago it was really cold.
KAGAN: yes, this is very unusual, trick-or-treating in sleeveless shirts, who ever heard of such a thing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Polls, polls and more polls. Next, political analyst Bill Schneider brings us up to speed on that.
SANCHEZ: Also a look at the West. California proposition is making waves.
And the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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