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US ELECTION KEY STATES
The US president is not directly elected but chosen through a 538-member Electoral College. In 2000, Florida determined the winner of the election and President George W Bush beat Democratic rival Al Gore by just 537 votes. Each state has between three and 55 representatives. The winner has to get 270 votes in the college to secure the presidency. The system means that candidates must concentrate on swing states where the result is uncertain. The 10 battleground states are: COLORADO Bush won Colorado, with its nine Electoral College places, by 145,000 votes in 2000. But this time Kerry senses the Democrats can win it and opinion polls back him up. Eighteen percent of voters are Hispanic and Colorado has lost 80,000 jobs since 2001. The electoral seats could be divided up between the two if a proportional representation referendum on November 2 succeeds. FLORIDA The state's 27 electoral votes were the most bitterly contested of the 2000 election. After a recount in one county, George W Bush won by 537 votes. Opinion polls now say that Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry are level. Kerry has been to Florida 22 times since March. Despite four major hurricanes since the start of August, the southeastern state's economy is strong. Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-10-28 |
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