New laws could delay outcome of close US election

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States (US) presidential election is on Nov 6, but it could take days to figure out the winner if the vote is close. New voting laws are likely to increase the number of people who have to cast provisional ballots in key states.

The limbo period while election officials scrutinise ballots is a scenario that surely would attract legions of campaign lawyers from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

"It's a possibility of a complete meltdown for the election," said Mr Daniel Smith, a political scientist at the University of Florida.

Today's potential voting nightmares are a reminder of Florida in 2000, when the results of balloting and thus the winner of the presidential contest - George W. Bush - were not known for weeks after Election Day.