Amat, I wish to echo your observations and to add:

1. The idea of comparing Democracy in the U.S. to what we aspire for Africa
or Gambia is misplaced. Those who are familiar with the Federal System of
democracies in America understand the autonomy-albeit limited-of its
constituent states. In the Florida electoral mischief, voters whose rights
have been compromised have the opportunity to file grievances with the state
justice system. What this does is that it triggers appellate jurisdiction
and therefore Federal jurisprudence. In other words, notwithstanding our
impatience, American Democracy is undergoing a splendid development for all
the world to see. Voting is just one aspect of the U.S. constitution, and
the latter in its entirety, subordinates its various parts. At the end of
the day, legal precedence, freedom of expression, and states' rights will
solve the glitch. Not to worry. I see this only as an opportunity to refine
the American Democracy to near-perfection.

2. My personal feeling was that the flaws in the design of the ballot cards
was noticed before electionday. It was however seen as an edge by
Republicans because the confusion it may create in an ethnic or
semi-literate constituency leading to misvoting or double-voting(therefore,
disqualification) can only arithmetically help the GOP. So, the design flaw
was not highlighted prior to votingday.

3. The most important legal challenges however was not the confusion but

a) Lack of enough translators and aides at polling stations of largely
Haitian and Hispanic populations. Therefore, polls closed before many could
cast their votes even though they were already in line to vote. Fewer aides
resulting in the slow pace of voting could not accomodate the turnout.

b) Thousands of voters who had registered to vote, either never received
their voter cards in time for the elections, or (with reg. cards in hand)
were turned away because their names did not appear on the roll.

It has been very easy for me to figure this out because months prior to the
elections, there have been sinister efforts by Rush Limbaugh, Hannity,
Peterson, etc. to take advantage of the semiliterate democratic electorate
to miseducate and misinform them on the mechanics of voting. As a matter of
fact, the order of the presidential candidates' names on the ballot was a
topic on Limbaugh's show the thursday before the election and how illusory
tactics can help a more educated Republican electorate.

c) You could fit all presidential candidates' names on the same page of the
cards by listing them one after the other, thereby maintaining the more
familiar arrangement of the holes appearing to the right of the candidates'
names. You would not have to resort to the hole for Buchanan being to the
left of his name and a medley of arrows directing the voter. If they had to
put someone's name on the right, then it would have been better to leave a
blank space to the left of the name.

The designer being a registered Democrat does not say anything to me. Anyone
who is familiar with voting knows that you can register as a Democrat or
Republican and vote for the other. If you are bent on mischief, your party
affiliation is irrelevant.

>From: Amat Gaye <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: US Election Card
>Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 10:11:03 -0500
>
>Aisha,
>   If this confusion about the outcome of the US presidential election had
>happened anywhere else[Africa], people will be counting the number of
>casualities by now. Far from being a perfect system, the fact that everyday
>life in the US has not come to a halt while this whole mess is being
>straightened out, is a testament of the highly evolved democratic society
>that is the US. Amidst the alleged irregularities and confusion, the
>transfer of power in the US remains as peaceful as ever. Hopefully Africans
>are paying attention.
>
>        Amat
>
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