Election 2008 - Provisional Ballots or Placebo Ballots? Not fail safe say experts

Provisional Ballot Problems Loom As 2008 Election Approaches, New Report Finds  Oct. 27

NEW YORK, Oct 27, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Some States Reject Tens of Thousands of Provisional Votes in 2006; Provisional Ballots May Play a Significant Role in 2008

Provisional ballots could play a significant role in the 2008 Election, frustrating voters and leading to possible post-election wrangling, according to a study published this week by the non-partisan public policy center Demos. "Provisional Ballots: Where to Watch in 2008" ( http://demos.org/pubs/provisionalballot_brief.pdf) identifies eight states where there is significant concern over provisional ballot implementation and the high risk of many of those ballots going uncounted in this election.

...High rates of provisional ballot usage and rejection suggest persistent shortcomings in election administration. More than one in three of the nearly 2 million provisional ballots cast in 2004 election were ultimately rejected.