PA Lawmakers Propose automatic recounts in close elections -- gathering support

With the 2000 presidential election and the Florida debacle still fresh in their minds, a group of Democratic lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill to mandate an automatic recount whenever the margin between the top two candidates is .5 percent or less.  State Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) said in introducing the bill that history is full of close elections. While the George Bush-Al Gore contest is the most famous, she also pointed to last year's Superior Court race in Pennsylvania that was decided by just 28 votes and took 10 weeks to pick a winner. "The legislation will set up parameters to help determine a clear winner in a close statewide race," Josephs said.  Offering support for Josephs' bill were representatives from the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and the state director of the American Civil Liberties Union. [more ]