THE FBI is being asked to investigate how thousands of mainly
                       black supporters of Al Gore were given ballot papers that had
                       allegedly already been marked for rival candidates.

                       Yesterday Democrat officials were examining claims that up to
                       17,000 ballot papers in the Miami area had been tampered with in
                       what they described as “organised corruption”. Lawyers from
                       across the United States descended on Miami and were busy
                       taking statements from those complaining that they had been
                       cheated or intimidated out of voting for Mr Gore.

                       A senior Democrat official in Miami, who has hired a team of 20
                       investigators to carry out an inquiry, told The Times: “Until now in
                       Florida, we have been arguing foul-ups, human error and stupidity.
                       But this is deliberate corruption to spoil votes for Gore and that
                       must be a matter for the FBI.

                       “We don’t want to be seen as playing the race card here, but the
                       areas where this happened are in poorer precincts, which are
                       predominantly black areas that would be expected to vote almost
                       unanimously for Vice-President Gore. We are not accusing the
                       Republican Party or any other ethnic groups for being behind this.
                       All we are saying is the vote was corrupted. There are just too
                       many double-punched papers.”

                       Jewish leaders in staunch Democrat areas of the city claimed that
                       they, too, had evidence of voting slips being marked before they
                       reached polling stations in areas populated by retired Jewish
                       couples. At a rally in a Miami synagogue, Lisa Versaci, Florida
                       director of People for the American Way, said: “There can be no
                       innocent explanation for a pre-punched ballot sheet.”

                       Republican leaders in Miami dismissed the allegations as
                       “dirty-trick claims”. A spokesman said: “A spoiled ballot is not
                       uncommon. There is no dark plot here.”