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Montgomery alabama Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://thebirminghamtimes.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=18198&sID=4http://thebirminghamtimes.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=18198&sID=4
Looks like Florida all over again
by Associated Press
The Birmingham Times
Originally posted 11/7/2002
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- In an extraordinarily close race, Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman and his challenger, Republican Rep. Bob Riley, both claimed victory early Wednesday after a dispute arose over the correct vote totals in Baldwin County, a GOP stronghold.
Election officials in Baldwin County originally showed Siegelman with 19,070 votes, but later reduced his tally to 12,736. The change could be enough to put Riley in the lead in the razor-thin race in which the margin of victory would be only a few thousand out of $1.3 million cast.
The dispute threw the tight race into turmoil. Siegelman declared victory at a party in Montgomery, telling supporters, ''How sweet it is.'' Meanwhile, Riley was also declaring himself the victor, telling supporters in Talladega: ''We win. Alabama's got a new day coming.''
Baldwin County's initial tally put Siegelman on top 674,052 to 670,913, a margin of 3,139. The revised number put Riley in the lead 670,913 to 667,718, a margin of 3,195. Libertarian John Sophocleus polled 23,242 votes by both accounts.
The 19,070 vote total for Siegelman was given in a printout of Baldwin County votes that was provided to news organizations, including The Associated Press.
But Capt. Marvin Ussery of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Department said Siegelman's numbers were lowered after voting machine cartridges from polling places were rerun because of a suspected error. Probate Judge James Reid said the lowered number would be certified as the official result later Wednesday.
Siegelman campaign spokesman Rip Andrews said the governor believes his original tally was correct in Baldwin County.
The dispute stirred images of the presidential election in Florida two years ago.
''Do you remember what happened in Florida and how close the vote was and the hanging chads?'' Riley said.
Alabama does not have a law providing for an automatic recount in tight races. Instead, a voter can seek a recount with each county canvassing board, but it requires putting up a security bond, said Chuck Grainger, attorney for the secretary of state's office.
Rain fell across the state throughout election day and a killer tornado hit Abbeville in southeast Alabama, but with 1.3 million votes cast, the total exceeded the 1998 race for governor, when turnout was 57 percent.
Riley, 58, was a three-term congressman making his first bid for statewide office. He accused Siegelman of presiding over a corrupt administration and promised ''honest change'' if elected.
Siegelman, 56, built his campaign around raising money for public education by making a second attempt at passing a state lottery and raising corporate taxes.
For many voters, the lottery was the main reason to brave the weather, and it played both ways.
Montgomery construction worker Steven Law said he voted for Siegelman after working in Texas and Florida and seeing how lottery revenues have helped their schools.
''They're way ahead of us,'' Law said.
Mary Dueitt, a 72-year-old homemaker who voted in Deer Park in southwest Alabama, said she got disgusted with both candidates for running negative campaigns, but ended up voting for Riley because she dislikes a lottery.
''I am not for that at all,'' she said.
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