Early voting in the US presidential election began in several states yesterday and problems immediately emerged in Florida, where a troubled recount four years ago led to the election of George W. Bush as president writes Conor O'Clery in New York.
With 14 days left to the official November 2nd polling day, campaigning has entered a new and more ugly phrase, with President Bush and Democrat Senator John Kerry making the harshest personal attacks yet on each other's records.
Under new elections rules, early voting has been permitted in Florida, Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, and balloting by mail is under way in Oregon, which has done away with polling booths.
But all eyes were on Florida where a botched poll could again throw a tight presidential election into turmoil. In Orange County, the touch-screen system briefly crashed, paralysing voting in Orlando and its immediate suburbs, but officials said later it was only a "glitch" and that voting had proceeded smoothly.
Touch-screen equipment was introduced in Florida after the 2000 election, which was awarded to Mr Bush when he was only 537 votes ahead as officials struggled to recount butterfly ballots and hanging chads.
In 15 of 67 counties, the machines don't have a paper trail, leading former president Mr Jimmy Carter to warn yesterday that there was no way to recount ballots if there was a dispute and the Florida election needed close monitoring.
In Palm Beach County, the centre of the turmoil in 2000, problems emerged again when a Democratic state legislator said she was not given a complete absentee ballot when she opted for paper instead of the electronic method, as she is legally entitled to do.
"If there are incomplete ballots out there, I can't imagine I would be the only one getting it," Ms Shelley Vana told AP.
Legal actions challenging the machines and voter registration are already under way with dozens of lawyers engaged by both main parties.
In Miami-Dade County, the Rev Al Sharpton and former US Attorney General Janet Reno advised a rally of 150 Democrats to vote as early as possible.
Mr Bush arrived in Florida for two days' campaigning last night after a speech in New Jersey in which he attacked Mr Kerry of "flip-flopping" his way to a dangerous position on Iraq "which would lead to a major defeat in the war on terror".
Addressing a partisan crown in Marlton that occasionally broke into chants of "USA! USA!", Mr Bush accused Mr Kerry of having a pre-9/11 view of the world that would permit a response "only after America is hit".
Mr Kerry's "global test" for action meant that he would need "permission from foreign capitals" to defend America and was "nothing more than an excuse to constrain the actions of our own country in a dangerous world".
They could expect more violence in the run-up to Iraqi elections, he warned, but Mr Kerry had chosen the "easy path of protest and defeatism" and "does not share our commitment to victory in Iraq". Even before he finished speaking, the Kerry campaign organised a conference call with reporters to describe the speech as "fundamentally dishonest" and "the last gasp of a failed presidency".
The Democratic challenger in turn lashed out in a Florida rally against the president's "mismanagement" of the war. Speaking shortly afterwards. Mr Kerry said the bitter truth was that the president had put the lives of young Americans on the line and undermined America's standing in the world by fighting an ill-prepared war in Iraq which was now "a breeding ground for terrorists".
"Despite all, the president says his policy is working. Mr President, it is time to come clean and acknowledge what military leaders have told you privately. You can choose to ignore the facts but in the end you can't hide the truth from the American people," Mr Kerry said.
While Mr Bush pushes national security - his strongest campaign issue - Mr Kerry is focusing on health care, an issue that resonates with millions of Americans forced to pay more each year or unable to afford coverage. Recalling that Mr Bush in a presidential debate had referred to Mr Kerry's list of shortcomings in American health care as "a litany of complaints", the Democrat said: "His answer to the American people is 'Stop whining!'"
With polling day approaching, several newspapers have endorsed candidates. Among those favouring Mr Bush are the Chicago Tribune and the Dallas Morning News, while those backing Kerry include the Boston Globe, New York Times and Miami Herald. The Tampa Tribune, which normally backs the Republican, endorsed neither candidate, saying it was sceptical of the promises of Mr Kerry and disappointed by the performance of President Bush.
A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll yesterday found Mr Bush ahead of Mr Kerry by 52 to 44 per cent, but the daily Reuters/Zogby tracking poll and Rasmussen tracking poll showed a statistical dead heat.