Steve,

>>It would be very easy to cast an invalid ballot by punching a straight-party vote, then voting on one of the other races too.
>
>The system allows for this, at least for crossing parties. IOW, you can punch straight Dem., and then vote for a different candidate in a specific race. At least that is the way it has been every time in my neck of Texas.

That seems to be the problem with the recount going on in New Mexico, where the computer program was not properly handling just that scenario. They thought they had corrected it, then hit problems again about 2 am today, and concluded that the program still had a bug in it.

Anyone here responsible for that? :-)