[Political Junkie Too]

Like TM staying in just long enough to syphon off enough absentee ballot votes to ensure a bustamante win.

A general question not directed to South40:

Did any candidate for statewide office in California ever have their win determined by the absentee ballots or was the polling place ballots enough?

-PJ

[ambrose]

Did any candidate for statewide office in California ever have their win determined by the absentee ballots or was the polling place ballots enough?

George Deukmejian in 1982 lost at the polls on election day, then won on absentee ballots. Dan Lungren did the same thing for AG in 1990.

[South40]

Did any candidate for statewide office in California ever have their win determined by the absentee ballots or was the polling place ballots enough?

While I have no knowledge of such an incident, I think it's safe to say ANY race can be decided by a handful of votes. Even a national race. Look at the 2000 presidential election. If al gore hadn't had absentee military votes purged it probably wouldn't have been as close as it was.