>Cast votes don't count. Valid, counted votes do.
>
>Lots of ballots all across the nation have been invalidated. It's a normal part of the process.
>
>Out of the larger circle of cast votes there emerges a numerical subset of valid votes. These are counted. Thes are the only votes that count in the real world.
>
>In the world of 'should have been' or 'could have been' they are equally meaningless, though for different reasons. <g>

I think you answered Tamar's question, Doug, indirectly. I've heard Bush media people similarly evasive on this question many times now, and of course we all know "votes cast" doen't count legally - but it's an interesting theoretical question, anyway. According to some statisticians working for Dems in Congress (but I'm fairly sure the statisticians are unbiased in their analysis of the FL "voter intent" question, especially since this has been kept rather quiet), the votes "cast" appear to be in the neighborhood of a 20,000 vote margin for Gore, +/- a couple thousand.

Looks like the Dems need to do a little more "voting education" if they want to win the close ones, not simply get voters to the polls, I guess that's one relevant point here.