I don't envy the task of those who are counting hundreds of thousands of ballots for exactly that reason. I guess the only way to do it is one at a time. <s>

Although there are concerns about it leading to judgment calls, I understand that there are quite precise requirements about what qualifies for a vote, and what not.

Some jurisdictions -- such as Chicago -- accept "pregnant" chads -- those that show a bulge but are still intact. My understanding is that the Florida rules do not allow that.

Then, there's the "attached" chad. That can be a "dangling" chad -- hanging by one corner, or a "swinging" chad --hanging by two corners. These all are accepted by the Florida rules.

In any case, all ballots are reviewed by a team of one Republican and one Democrat. Any disputed ballots are referred to a committee of 3 for resolution.

I appreciate the openness that the Florida electoral officials have had in this exciting and draining process. They've allowed media in during the counting, held press conferences for major decisions, and opened themselves up for questioning.

Whatever way the election goes, I'm encouraged by seeing how our system operates by the rule of law. The passion that people bring to the process only shows how important the freedoms we have are to us in this day.