RELEASED: DEMOCRAT MEMO ON HOW TO DISQUALIFY MILITARY VOTES

**World Exclusive**

The DRUDGE REPORT has obtained -- and is now releasing worldwide -- a memo
circulated to Democrats throughout Florida detailing how to disqualify overseas
military ballots!

MORE

It's been talked about. It's been flashed on TV. But now only the DRUDGE REPORT
can bring you the full text.

Mark Herron, a Tallahassee lawyer helping shepherd Democratic presidential election
lawsuits through the local courts, sent the five-page letter to Democratic
attorneys across Florida
giving them tips on how to lodge protests against the ballots which heavily
favored Republican George W. Bush.

Bush comfortably won Florida's overseas absentee vote by 1,380 votes to
Vice-President Al Gore's 750 but, after vigorous challenges by Gore canvassers,
1,527 of the postal ballots, many of them from soldiers and sailors on active
service, were rejected using Herron's blueprint.

Gen Norman Schwarzkopf led Republican condemnation of a five-page guide which
advised Democratic tellers how to raise objections to the postal votes.

He said: "It is a very sad day in our country when the men and women of
the armed forces are serving abroad and facing danger of a daily basis . . .
and are denied the right to vote for the president of the United States
who will be their commander in chief."

The 5-page memo as obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT:

Date: November 15, 2000
To: FDP Lawyer
From: Mark Herron
Subject: Overseas Absentee Ballot Review and Protest

State and Federal law
provides for the counting of "absentee qualified electors overseas"
ballots for 10 days after the day of the election or until November 17, 2000.
Sections 101.62(7)(a), Florida Statutes defines as "absentee qualified
elector overseas" to mean members of the Armed Forces while in the
service, members of the merchant marine of the United States and other citizens
of the United States, who are permanent residents of the states and are temporarily
residing outside of the territories of the United States and the Districts of
Columbia. These "absent qualified electors overseas" must also be
qualified and registered as provided by law.

You are being asked to review these overseas absentee ballots to make a
determination whether acceptance by the supervisor of elections and/or the
county canvassing board is legal under Florida
law. A challenge to these ballots must be made prior to the time that the
ballot is removed from the mailing envelope. The specific statutory requirement
for processing the canvass of an absentee ballot including of overseas absentee
ballot, are set forth in Section 101.62(2) (c)2. Florida Statutes:

The form of the voter's certificates on the absentee ballot is set forth in
section 101.64(1), Florida
Statutes. By statutory provisions, only overseas absentee ballots mailed with
an APO, PPO, or foreign postmark shall be
considered a ballot. See Section 101.62(7)(c). Florida Statutes.

In reviewing these ballots you should focus on the following:

2. The voter's signature: The ballot envelope must be signed by the voter. The
signature of the elector as the voter's certificate should be compared with the
signature of the elector of the signature on the registration books to
determine that the elector who voted by ballot is the elector registered. See
Section 101.68(c)x, Florida
Statutes.

3. The ballot is properly witnessed: The absentee ballot envelope must be
witnessed by a notary or an attesting witness over the age of eighteen years.
You may note that these requirements vary from the statutory language from the
Section 101.68(2)(c)1, Florida
Statutes. Certain statutory requirements in that section were not proclaimed by
the Justice Department pursuant to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Sec. DE
98-13.

4. The ballot is postmarked: With respect to absentee ballots mailed by
absolute qualified electors overseas only those ballots mailed with an APO,
PPO, or foreign postmark shall be considered valid. See Section101.62(7)(c), Florida Statutes. This
statutory provision varies from rule 15-2.013(7), Florida Administrative Code,
which provides overseas absentee ballots may be accepted if "postmarked or
signed and dated no later than the date of the federal election."

To assist your review, we have attached the following:

1. A review Federal Postal regulations relating to FPO's and PPO's.

2. A protest form to be completed with respect to each absentee ballot
challenged.

3. Overseas Ballot Summary of Definitions.

Revised
Overseas Ballot Summary of Definitions

There are 3 different types of overseas ballots that are valid for return at
the counties provided they are postmarked on or before November 7th.

Below are the definitions for points of origin and postmark that are valid for
military overseas ballots:

1. APO (Army Post Office) -- A branch of the designated USPS civilian post
office, which falls under the jurisdiction of the postmaster of either New York
City or San Francisco, that serves either Army or Airforce personnel.

2. FPO (Fleet Post Office) -- A branch of the designated USPS civilian post
office, which falls under the jurisdiction of the postmaster of either New York
City or San Francisco, that serves Coast Guard, Navy, or Marine Corps
personnel.

3. MPO (Military Post Office) -- A branch of a U.S. civil post office, operated
by the Army, Navy, Airforce, or Marine Corps to serve military personnel
overseas or aboard ships.

4. Military Post Office Cancellation -- A postmark that contains the post
office name, state, ZIP Code, and month, day, and year that the mail xxx was
cancelled.

As provided in Section 101.68(2)(c)(2), Florida Statutes. I, as an elector in
__________ County, Florida, hereby protest against the canvass of the overseas
absentee ballot described below:

County: ____________________________________________________

Precinct: __________________________________________________

The Ballot: ________________________________________________

Name of Voter: _____________________________________________

Address of Voter: __________________________________________

Reason for rejection: ______________________________________

___ Lack of affirmative request for absentee ballot

___ Request for absentee ballot not fully filled out

___ Signature on absentee ballot request does not match signature on
registration card or on ballot

___ Voter signature on envelope does not match signature on registration card

___ Inadequate witness certification

___ Late postmark (indicate date of actual postmark)

___ Domestic postmark (including Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.)

___ No postmark

___ Voter had previously voted in this election

___ Other

Signature of Person Filing Protest

__________________________________

Print Name