Swing states crucial with E-Day around the corner

Just two days are left before the U.S. turns a new page, and both Democratic and Republican candidates have entered into a final frantic weekend of campaigning. Barack Obama and John McCain are visiting key swing states considered crucial to winning Tuesd

John McCain spent Saturday in Virginia and Pennsylvania and Barack Obama went to Missouri, Colorado and Nevada.

Florida is another of the key battlegrounds that can make or break the presidential dreams of Barack Obama and John McCain.

In the 2000 election it was the scene of a vote-rigging scandal, which led many to accuse George W. Bush of stealing the election from Al Gore.

Voting computers have now been introduced, so there is no prospect of a repeat of the problem with hanging chads as there was back then. Instead, there are concerns about the complexity of the voting process and that the computers might be vulnerable to hackers.

Election officials are trying to dispel those fears, saying there’s no evidence hackers are targeting voting equipment and that, despite the apparent complexity of the ballot casting process, it’s actually not that hard to follow. Practice sheets have been introduced to give people a better chance to vote properly and ensure their vote is counted.

According to official results and with much controversy, Florida supported the Republicans in the last two presidential elections. Opinion polls suggest there is a real possibility of the state turning Democrat come November.

Meanwhile, President George W. Bush is urging Americans to vote saying that the U.S. election sets an example for budding democracies around the world.