Tribune editorial board

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the voting booth, voters beware. You might just want to bring your attorney along.

Four years after the highest court in the land split the virtual tie between now President George W. Bush and then Vice President Al Gore, today the entire election process has become mired in legal red tape and bickering.

Across the country the headlines are filled with pre-Election Day maneuvering - jockeying if you well - in an attempt to sway the election, or at least set the groundwork for swaying later, if needed.

From the controversy over provisional ballots to the ongoing debate about the actual voting equipment, this election is under more legal scrutiny than the O.J. Simpson trial.

On Wednesday, a federal judge overturned Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell's decision on how to handle voters who show up to vote at the wrong polling place. Blackwell argued that such voters who must cast a provisional ballot until the authenticity of their registration could be verified would only be allowed to vote at the precinct in which they should be registered. The judge said such voters should be allowed to vote at any precinct.

Lawsuits over election issues have been filed in more than a dozen states.

Oddly enough, even the new electronic touch-screen voting machines are creating fervor with some people. Given the infamous nature of the old punch card system, we thought the new machines would be welcome by all.

Unfortunately, we made that assumption without the advice of our attorney, who would have told us that anything could be scrutinized legally. Ask a barber if you need a haircut and the answer will be "yes." Ask an attorney if you should sue, you'll likely find a similar response.

All of the legal wrangling casts doubt on the basic tenets of faith in our election system. We hope the dependence on legally fighting out the election wanes soon. But until that happens, grab your attorney and hang on for dear life.