As the presidential election hangs in limbo, ISU political experts said mistakes in the vote-counting process has cast a shadow of doubt in the minds of the nation’s voters.

Steffen Schmidt, university professor of political science, said people in Palm Beach, Fla., are demanding a new election because the ballot was considered confusing, leading people to vote for the wrong candidate. Schmidt said he disagrees with a revote, and he doubts one will occur.

“There are a lot of people all over the U.S. who didn’t read the ballot,” he said. “They don’t get to revote.”

Schmidt compared the revote demand to a student who fails a test and then asks for a retest because they didn’t read the questions.

Aaron Fister, president and producer of ISU9’s Politics Unlimited, said there should not be a new election, because “there is no way to hold a fair revote.”

Robert Lowry, associate professor of political science, said he expects people to be upset if Bush wins the electoral vote, since Gore has already won the popular vote. He said it might be debated in Congress, but it will not be eliminated.

“It must be ratified by three-fourths of the states,” Lowry said. “Small states might hold out on that.”

Schmidt said there is “no way on earth” the electoral college will be eliminated.

“It will be an issue, but it will go away quickly as other things come into play,” he said.

Fister, junior in management information systems, said Rev. Jesse Jackson is stepping into things and encouraging more protest because of telephone calls from minorities who said they were denied their voting privileges.

Fister said he thinks Jackson is looking to stir up something that is not there.

“As for protests, Bush and Gore need to tell the people to lay off,” Fister said. “This could really divide the country.”

Lowry said he expects Bush to win the electoral vote by a thin margin, but Bush will have some problems to overcome if elected.

“He will have to do his best to get the respect of the American people,” he said.

If Bush can bring Republicans and Democrats together, as he claims he will, Fister said he thinks Bush will gain the support of the people.

“He must reach out to the members of Congress who are moderate, regardless of their party,” he said.

Schmidt said Bush won’t have to do anything to gain the support of the people.

“He will have the support because he is president of the United States,” Schmidt said. “He just has to stick with what people want him to do.”