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PENNSYLVANIA: HEADLINES [Chris Lilik 11/02 11:52 AM]

Today’s Notable PA Newspaper Election Stories;

Associated Press:

Judge extends deadline for overseas ballot return

Pa. election officials brace for flood of new voters

Campaigns say misleading phone calls made to PA Seniors
In Lancaster County, Pa., Republican officials said bogus phone calls have gone to at least a dozen elderly voters, alleging they are ineligible to vote. The calls appeared to target Republicans, said Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa., who called them "an outrageous effort on the part of someone to try to repress the vote."

Philadelphia Inquirer:

Ballots, bars and funeral homes: Some city voting sites are polls apart from ordinary.

Bin Laden is trying to help Bush win, Rendell says

Turnout could be the key to capturing pivotal Pa.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Bush relaxed, jovial at big rally in Burgettstown

Pa. election officials bracing for long night

Across the state, county election bureaus and campaign officials are bracing for a long Election Day, stretching into tonight and tomorrow morning. They're doubly bracing for Florida-style recounts, as polls continue to show a tight race in Pennsylvania between President Bush and his Democratic challenger, Sen. John F. Kerry, of Massachusetts.

Those recounts could come via two routes. The first is the old-fashioned way — a candidate may challenge election results, for whatever reason, in individual counties or precincts. The second is new to Pennsylvania — a state law, signed last month, that mandates a county-by-county, vote-by-vote recount if the victory margin is less than 0.5 percent.

Allegheny County ranks high in reported problems

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Pa. could debut automatic recount law

A close vote in today's election could trigger a new event in Pennsylvania politics — the automatic recount.

Don't think about Florida's fragmented 2000 recount nightmare. Last month, the Pennsylvania Legislature updated the election code to include an automatic recount in close elections. The process calls for a double check of totals in each of the state's 67 counties and could last until Nov. 23.

Voters, don't forget your licenses today

While Pennsylvanians will use the same patchwork of voting technology as the 2000 election — paper ballots, punch cards, lever machines, optical-scan devices and electronic systems — today's balloting will be more closely inspected for irregularities than any previous election.

Harrisburg Patriot-News:

CENTRAL: Heartland favors Bush — with buts

Allentown Morning Call:

Heinz air crash papers are mistakenly unsealed: Deputy prothonotary misread state Supreme Court order

Weldon, Barrar file suit to set aside inmates' ballots

Scranton Times:

NEPA could decide race for president

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader:

Experts see big turnout in area: An upsurge in new-voter registration pushes up predictions for Northeastern Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Daily News:

5 nightmare election results: Though odds are against repeat of 2000 mess, many expect crisis
They include a tie, a terrorist attack today, a Colorado nightmare, the Supreme Court decides the election, and Pennsylvania decides the election

Lancaster New Era:

Rumors running rampant on eve of Election Day: There are plenty of stories of partisan shenanigans, but most are hard to verify.

Ask any politically active Republican or Democrat in Lancaster County and they’ve got a story to tell.

Seniors are getting nasty phone calls telling them they aren’t registered and can’t vote on Tuesday.

Voters are being given the wrong information about their proper polling place.

Party operatives are throwing away voter registrations if they come from the opposing party.

Voter suppression is everywhere, according to the rumors.

Except when the rumors are tracked, they get a little murky.

Drudge’s Biggie:

Obviously the biggest story right now is Matt Drudge’s Philly Voter Fraud unearthing:

VOTES FOUND ON MACHINES IN PHILLY BEFORE POLLS OPEN

Before voting even began in Philadelphia — poll watchers found nearly 2000 votes already planted on machines scattered throughout the city... One incident occurred at the SALVATION ARMY, 2601 N. 11th St., Philadelphia, Pa: Ward 37, division 8... pollwatchers uncovered 4 machines with planted votes; one with over 200 and one with nearly 500... A second location, 1901 W. Girard Ave., Berean Institute, Philadelphia, Pa, had 300+ votes already on 2 machines at start of day... INCIDENT: 292 votes on machine at start of day; WARD/DIVISION: 7/7: ADDRESS: 122 W. Erie Ave., Roberto Clemente School, Philadelphia, Pa.; INCIDENT: 456 votes on machine at start of day; WARD/DIVISION: 12/3; ADDRESS: 5657 Chew Ave., storefront, Philadelphia, Pa... MORE... A gun was purposely made visible to scare poll watchers at Ward 30, division 11, at 905 S. 20th St., Grand Court. Police were called and surrounded the location... Developing...