- Title: USA: INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS ARRIVE IN FLORIDA FOR NOVEMBER 2 ELECTIONS
- Date: 31st October 2004
- Summary: (U1) MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES ( OCTOBER 31, 2004) REUTERS) 1. SV OBSERVERS WALKING THROUGH LOBBY OF HOTEL 0.07 2. SV/MCU OBSERVERS GOING OVER SCHEDULE (3 SHOTS) 0.22 3. MCU (English) JUSTICE BEKEBEKE, INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER FROM SOUTH AFRICA, SAYING: "Coming from South Africa and a third world country, our political system is quite different from the one that we experience here in the United States. From our perspective, we have an independent electoral commission which monitors elections, which is definitely government funded but politicians have absolutely no insight, no say on how we function as a commission." 0.48 4. SLV OBSERVERS HAVING BRIEF MEETING 0.53 5. MCU (English) BEKEBEKE SAYING: "We have not been allowed access to the polling stations, to observe first hand but I don't think that is going to detract from our mission here. We are going to interview people who have been inside, whether things have gone well, whether they haven't gone well and then we will be drawing our report." 1.13 6. MCU (English) OWEN THOMAS, INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, SAYING: "The issues that will concern me on Tuesday will probably be things like capacity. In 2002, with much lower mid-term turnout, there were lines of people which would not be accepted in the UK, waiting three and four hours to vote. We've seen that again in the early voting. I have real fears on election day whether this is actually going to tear a lot of voters from turning around and going home." 1.41 7. SV OBSERVERS AT ELECTION TRAINING SITE 1.48 8. SLV OBSERVERS AT ELECTION TRAINING SITE 1.56 9. MCU (English) ROBERTO COURTNEY, INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER FROM NICARAGUA, SAYING: "I think it's as well prepared as it can possibly be under the circumstances. There are a number of things that present problems in any set-up. High turn outs make things very difficult. Difficult ballots or a number of issues on the ballots also make for a for a difficult election day and you have both those elements here in Florida." 2.18 10. SV OBSERVERS AT ELECTION TRAINING SITE (2 SHOTS) 2.29 11. MCU (English) COURTNEY SAYING: "As a matter of fact, there is a political thinker who once said that only rookies try to steel elections on elections day. The work needs to be in place before, otherwise it would clearly detected by poll watchers and other people. I think we are more interested or we feel that the capacity to oversee the system is there. We have seen the system operating and there are a number of things we have called attention. These are things that have been highlighted by other people, including many Americans." 3.03 12. SV MIAMI-DADE ELECTION OFFICE 3.06 13. LV PEOPLE IN LINE OUTSIDE MIAMI-DADE ELECTION OFFICE 3.11 14. MCU (English) NADIA AMIN, VOTER SAYING: "I think it's a wonderful thing. You can see here from the long lines that people are out doing their civic duty. They are willing to wait any amount of time to have their voices heard. I think it's a beautiful thing that the world can come and watch us, especially when we have such a divided election." 3.25 15. SLV PEOPLE IN LINE WAITING TO VOTE 3.28 16. SV PEOPLE N LINE WAITING TO VOTE 3.32 17. MCU (English) JUAN CARLOS CHEDIAC, VOTER SAYING: "Do I think they are necessary, I really don't. I guess it pleases the world to have them here, to see that we are not doing anything wrong. I think this country has got the best election system." 3.45 18. MCU (English) CARLOS TOBAR, VOTER SAYING: "I just hope that they just see the election process and how hard it is that everything is accounted for. Given what happened in 2000, that's why I'm here. I wasn't here in 2000. I'm just making sure that my vote counts this time." 3.59 19. SV OF EARLY VOTING SIGN ON DOOR 4.03 20. SV PEOPLE IN LINE WAITING TO VOTE 4.08 21. MCU (English) ASSAD BAYONAS, VOTER SAYING: "I think it's actually a very, very good thing especially after what happened in 2000. We really need to be able to show that our elections really work. We've taken a really big hit in 2000 and having international observers I think will do that." 4.21 22. SLV PEOPLE EXITING ELECTION BUILDING 4.31 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVACRSVBKRXYYW44UEAA20KXIZY3
- Story Text: International Observers arrive in Florida for Nov. 2
elections.
Remember pregnant and hanging chads? Charges of the
state purging felons from voter rolls? These were some of
the problems that caused the 2000 Florida elections
debacle.
This time around, Florida along with several other
states, will be under the close watch of international
observers from several organizations. In what is believed
to be the first mission of its kind, Global Exchange, an
international human-rights organization in San Francisco
that sponsors independent elections monitoring overseas
has invited 20 "experienced and skilled observers" to monitor
the electoral process in the U.S. Five of these experts will
observe the process in Florida.
Although Global Exchange was not invited by the Bush
Administration, as were a team of observers from the
Organization for Security and cooperation in Europe,
they've already spent some time poking around in Florida.
In September, they spent several days meeting with a
range of citizen's groups and government officials and
later issued a comprehensive report. Among some of their
recommendations were: non-partisan supervision of
elections, paper trail for touch-screen voting, universal
use of provisional ballots, re-enfranchisement of ex-felons
and public financing for elections.
The observers will be monitoring at several polling
sites although elections' officials in several Florida
counties are refusing to grant them poll access. Despite
this setback, the observers say this will not deter them
from doing their jobs. "We have not been allowed access to
the polling stations, to observe first hand but I don't
think that is going to detract from our mission here. We
are going to interview people who have been inside, whether
things have gone well, whether they haven't gone well and
then we will be drawing our report," said Justice Bekebeke,
an International Observer from South Africa.
According to Owen Thomas, an observer from the United
Kingdom, one of his largest concerns is a high turn out at
the polls which may translate in people getting frustrated
and going home.
Robert Courtney, from Nicaragua is more concerned about
lengthy ballots. "Difficult ballots or a number of issues
on the ballots also make for a for a difficult election
day," Courtney said.
Despite the problems that plagued Florida in the 2000
election, voters have mixed feelings on having the
international observers monitor the electoral process. "Do
I think they are necessary, I really don't. I guess it
pleases the world to have them here, to see that we are not
doing anything wrong," said Juan Carlos Chediac, a Miami
voter.
Some are relieved to have observers particularly
because the presidential race is so close in Florida.
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