The Election, Precision and Significant Figures

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From: Beth Touchette-Laughlin (51weeks@email.msn.com)
Date: Fri Dec 08 2000 - 16:31:45 PST 

Message-ID: <001801c06177$69ee47c0$572c263f@default>
From: "Beth Touchette-Laughlin" <51weeks@email.msn.com>
Subject: The Election, Precision and Significant Figures
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 16:31:45 -0800

Has anyone else considered precision and significant figures to explain the
current election mess? I think the precision of the Florida voting system,
with pregnant chads, lost overseas ballots, etc etc etc really only has a
precision to at most 10,000 votes, which really wasn't noticed up till now.
Kathleen Harris's totals 2,912,790 for Gore and 2,912,253 therefore are
really the same number. Hand recounts won't make an imprecise system better.
The science teacher in me says that we have a tie. What do you all think
(politics aside) ?

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