The butterfly punch card ballot made infamous in the Florida 2000 presidential election is not used in California, but last month's failed lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking to delay the recall election until March 2004 focused attention on two similar punch card systems that were set to be taken out of service but will be used for the special election.

washingtonpost.com interviewed officials in both Santa Clara and Solano counties about what measures their election offices were taking to ensure that the mistakes in the 2000 Florida election will not be duplicated in California. Santa Clara uses the de-certified Poll Star punch card ballot system. The Votomatic punch card ballot system has been used in Solano County for the past 20 years.

Interviews:
Elma Rosas, elections coordinator Santa Clara County
Laura Winslow, registrar of voters Solano County

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