What she had not counted on was being under a microscope after overseeing two troubled elections, running up a budget deficit and reviving memories of the 2000 election fiasco in Florida.

Television news had been playing a game of lowered expectations for days, offering a careful message that after the 2000 election fiasco they would not make that mistake again.

The Justice Department has been criticized by minority groups for failing to intervene more aggressively in Florida after the 2000 election fiasco.

But as a candidate herself, Ms. Roberts has played down her role in the election fiasco.

Unfamiliarity with voting procedures and technology was largely to blame for Florida's election fiasco in 2000.

Those investigating the election fiasco will certainly wish to dispel the notion that Britons have learnt to lie to the woman with a clipboard and ballpoint pen.

Their writings were invoked by all sides during the Clinton impeachment and the election fiasco in Florida.

Larger companies like Diebold swooped in to buy the smaller companies after the election fiasco in Florida put pressure on states to upgrade their systems.

Unfamiliarity with voting procedures, confusing ballots and faulty technology were largely to blame for Florida's election fiasco in 2000.

"I do believe that the strong interest that we are getting in voter registration and in the November election comes out of the aftermath of the presidential election fiasco in 2000," Ms. Bysiewicz said.