Provisional, absentee votes could delay win by 10 days

WITH any victory expected to be razor thin in Ohio and the chance that a winner might not be known for days, if not weeks, it is possible that the vote difference between US President George W Bush and Senator John Kerry will be smaller than the number of provisional ballots cast, and that matters because such ballots aren’t counted for at least 10 days after the poll.

Provisional ballots are used by voters who have moved, don’t appear on registration rolls or are told they are not eligible. But the ballots are held while workers confirm eligibility, and they’re not counted until county boards begin their official count on November 13-17.

For the first time, the state will report how many provisional ballots were cast on election night,

There were nearly 98,500 provisional ballots cast in the 2000 presidential election in Ohio, where the vote difference between Mr Bush and Al Gore was 166,735 votes. More provisional ballots are expected to be cast this year, after Congress expanded their use in 2002.

Also, there could be absentee ballots not counted on election night from overseas and military voters. As long as such ballots are postmarked by the time polls close Tuesday, they are counted if received by November 12.

Then there are the lawyers.

Both parties have thousands of lawyers and others statewide serving as challengers at the polls with the power to question whether voters are eligible. Some fear long lines and confusion as a result.