Associated Press Poll: Americans Want a Fair Count By Will Lester TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Americans by a 3-to-1 margin say it's more important to make certain
the vote count in Florida has been fair and accurate than to resolve
matters quickly, polls show. Just over half oppose waiting beyond the wrap-up of the Florida
recount, including absentee votes, due by Friday. A Newsweek poll out Saturday said two-thirds of Americans think Al Gore
did the right thing when he withdraw his concession in the very close
presidential election that has not yet been decided. In a CNN-Time poll released Saturday, four in 10 said Gore should wait
for any court decisions on contested ballots in Florida. A fourth said
Gore should concede immediately, while another fourth thought he should
concede if he loses the official vote that wraps up next Friday. More than half of those surveyed, 54 percent, said in the CNN-Time poll
that Bush should not ask for recounts in other states, which the Bush
campaign has hinted it will do in Iowa, Wisconsin and New Mexico, where
Gore came out ahead. People were evenly split on the question of a new
election in Palm Beach County, where there have been widespread complaints
about voter confusion over an unorthodox ballot style. But two-thirds were
opposed to a new election in Florida and three-fourths opposed to a new
election nationwide. Just over half of Americans in the CNN-Time poll said the Gore campaign
is acting responsibly while the votes are being recounted in Florida. A
third said his campaign is acting irresponsibly. Seven in 10 said the delay in knowing who is president and the
uncertainty about the vote are a sign of strength in the nation's
political system, while 24 percent said it was a sign of weakness. When people were asked if the electoral college currently used to
select a president, six in 10 said it should be replaced by selection with
the popular vote. The electoral college gives each state a certain number
of votes in line with their congressional representation. Gore currently
leads the popular vote nationally, so if Bush wins the election he would
have done so without winning the most votes. The Time-CNN poll was conducted Friday with 1,154 adults and had a 3
percentage point error margin. The Newsweek poll was conducted with 1,000
adults Thursday and Friday and has an error margin of 4 percentage
points.
Copyright © 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
November 11, 2000