At this writing, the United States is still without a "declared" president. To recount or not to recount.that appears to be the question as legal eagles battle to interpret and define established election law on both state and local levels. Since the popular vote in each state determines the number of electoral votes awarded to a candidate by that state, an accurate vote count is very important. Because a candidate may win the office of the presidency by electoral votes without holding a majority in the national popular vote, the Electoral College historically has been subject to criticism in terms of its validity and fairness.

To educate and inform, the Federal Election Commission maintains an "Electoral College" page http://www.fec.gov/pages/ecmenu2.htm that describes how the Electoral College works and gives a brief history of the "electoral" process. The "Electoral College Homepage" http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/elctcoll/index.html maintained by The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) not only links to general information but also outlines the historical impact of electoral voting. Here, users can look at "A Procedural Guide to the Electoral College," as well as the "Relevant Provisions of the Constitution and Federal Law." An interesting feature of this site is the "Electoral College Box Scores" http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/elctcoll/ecfront.html#general, which tabulates the electoral and popular vote results of all U.S. presidential elections. Look at the tables for the 1800, 1824, 1876 and 1888 elections to see that the Bush/Gore battle is not the first controversial election in U. S. history.

Critics have charged that the Electoral College is archaic and in need of reform. For information on popular opinion related to the current political whirlwind, see the Gallup Organization's "Poll Releases" site at http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/. Although this site features poll results on many topics, it currently is highlighting reports that "Americans Have Historically Favored Changing Way Presidents are Elected" and that "Americans (are) Paying Close Attention to Election Controversy."

Recent legislative activity, including hearings and reviews of the Electoral-College process, can be accessed through the "CIS Index" section of Congressional Universe. UB students, faculty and staff can access this database at http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/. A subject search spanning all available dates on the term "electoral college" will result in a listing of the pending legislation, hearings, bills, etc., in both houses of Congress.

On a lighter note, Election 2000 has given political humorists a seemingly endless supply of material. For comic perspectives on topics ranging from the electoral college to individual party platforms, see "Political Humor" http://politicalhumor.about.com/comedy/politicalhumor/mbody.htm, a guide to more than 700 sites "commenting" on politics in Florida and beyond. Features include an "Electoral Dysfunction 2000 Quiz" and "the skinny" on "How Strom Thurmond Could Become Our Next President."

All things aside, to say that the 2000 presidential election has been "exciting" or "invigorating" is indeed an understatement. While we may not be able to clearly identify the next president for some time, the controversy certainly has sparked new life into the election process.

- Brenda Battleson and Austin Booth, University Libraries