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Judge: No More Hanging Chads in California

February 25, 2002

A federal judge has ruled that no chads will be hanging, swinging or otherwise confounding voters and election officials in California in the next presidential election.

Central California U.S. District Court Judge Steven Wilsons decision is significant as the first ruling to require the notorious punch-card voting systems be replaced before 2004. The February ruling gives nine counties, including Las Angeles, until November 2004 to replace the old-style ballot machines that caused such historic havoc, particularly in Florida, in the 2000 election race.

"This California judge's decision is an important first step to making sure that American citizens can have faith in our voting system again," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said.

The AFL-CIO, American Civil Liberties Union, Common Cause and other voter and civil rights groups sought the judicial action on the "Votamatic" machines, many of which are used in regions that serve minority populations. Problems counting the votes from those machines led to thousands of ballots being cast out uncounted amid charges of voter disenfranchisement.

"Judge Wilsons decision fulfills the fundamental principal in our constitution that every citizen has the right not just to go to the polls on election day, but to have his or her vote actually counted," said Brad Phillips, attorney for the plaintiffs.

Federal action is possible soon. The AFL-CIO reports the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a comprehensive bipartisan election reform bill after it returns from the holiday recess next week. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a less comprehensive measure in December 2001.

The Search for the Prize Pin. One Florida local turned the chaos of the 2000 presidential election in Palm Beach County into the most sought-after pin of the IBEW convention in San Francisco.