Democrats: Tremendous victory for the disenfranchised voters

Washington's Republican Party lost a lawsuit seeking to prevent the county that includes Seattle from counting hundreds of ballots left out of their initial tally, a benefit to Democrat Christine Gregoire.

The state &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/usa/2001/07/09/9609.html ' target=_blank>Supreme Court ruled today that a lower court was mistaken for barring 573 votes in King County from being included in the third count of votes cast in the governor's race. Even excluding those votes, Democrats said Gregoire took a lead, overturning two earlier tallies that made Republican Dino Rossi the victor, informs Bloomberg.

According to the Seattle Times, &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/101/399/14390_Delay.html ' target=_blank>Republicans argued that a recount should be a mere retabulation, and said seven weeks after the election was too late for counties to go back and correct errors. But the court unanimously said state law specifically allows county canvassing boards to correct mistakes during a recount.

"We are absolutely thrilled," said Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Brost. "All along this has been about those voters who have been disenfranchised, and this is a tremendous victory for them today."