Should Bush's victory in Florida hold up, he'd have 271 electoral votes to Gore's 267. That means that when electors meet in their own states Dec. 18 to choose the next president, a switch of two would create a tie, and three make Gore the winner. No one expects this to happen, because each candidate's electors consist of party loyalists. The electoral process got blindsided by an outcome it isn't meant to deal with. Va. All these disparities among states underscore the lack of uniformity in American elections.
Rules vary from place to place.
In Wisconsin four years ago, only 10 of the state's 11 Democratic electors appeared at the Capitol on the designated day to vote for Bill Clinton. The vagaries of state law go beyond ballot machines and the Electoral College. The League of Women Voters points out that states have different rules for qualifying voters, particularly when it comes to criminal background and mental competence. Someone franchised in one state could be disenfranchised in another. Registration rules also vary widely.