Free Republic

Voting irregularities were few in Minnesota this year -- until it really counted. Defeated Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry likely is going to get one less electoral vote nationally than he should have -- 251 instead of 252 -- because of an apparent mistake Monday by one of Minnesota's 10 DFL electors. One of the 10 handwritten ballots cast for president carried the name of vice presidential candidate John Edwards (actually spelled "Ewards" on the ballot) rather than Kerry. "I was shocked ... this will go in the history books," said Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, who presided over a...

A few weeks ago in this space I commented on the unlikelihood of Virginia turning into a “swing state” in the 2004 election. Back in August, as the Democrats dreamed of a landslide, they even went so far as to send vice presidential candidate John Edwards to Roanoke. Even persistent polling data showing President George W. Bush with a comfortable lead in the state failed to kill the dream of a “blue” Virginia.In the end, of course, Virginia stayed in the “red” Republican column. Although the election was closer here than anywhere else in the South except Florida, Bush did...