Partisan politics aside
An ominous summary of where we currently stand from Slate, which puts the electoral vote at 270 for Bush and 268 for Kerry based on current polls:
Could it get any closer? Wisconsin shifts to Kerry;Iowa shifts to Bush. Kerry continues to hold Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Bottom line: Kerry wins if 1) he takes New Hampshire (tied in the latest poll, Bush led in the previous one) or 2) Colorado passes the ballot measure to split its EVs by percentage of the statewide vote. Maine splits only two of its four EVs by congressional district, so if Bush loses there, he can salvage one EV at best, putting him at 271. That means that Kerry, with just a third of the statewide vote in Colorado, would take back 3 EVs and the presidency--but only if the ballot measure holds up in court. Summary: If current polls hold, it's Florida all over again.
Yup, our president is going to be chosen by judges again. The fight has already begun. It's hard to believe it's come to this again, but we get what we deserve for the general apathy we displayed last time around. The best we can hope for is that this time, it's the Republicans who get screwed. Maybe that will put everybody on the same page. Having undisputed, non-litigated elections should not be a partisan issue.