Errata

7/26/01:  An error was discovered in the entry of data to Jackson County.

Using corrected data, the model becomes much stronger. For Jackson County, r² rises to 0.79 with a probability dropping a thousand-fold to 9 x 10^-10.  The probabilities for Gore/Nelson and percent spoilage are strengthened ten-fold and a thousand-fold, respectively to 3.5 x 10^-8 and 9.4 x 10^-5.  Overall, the r² of the model rises to 0.67, with the probability that this could have happened by chance dropping by over a million-fold to 4.7x 10^-55.  The probabilities for Gore/Nelson and percent spoilage drop by over a thousand fold and over a million-fold to 4.5x10^-45 and 1.5 x 10^-21, respectively.  Meanwhile, the values for percent spoilage drop to 15.3 (precinct 2), 7.0 (precinct 6)and 6.3 (precinct 16).  Therefore, precincts 6 and 16 are no longer among those with exceptionally high spoilage. This reduces the ballots spoiled in 13 (now 11) precincts with exceptionally high spoilage from 844 to 779.  Thanks go to Professor Brian C. Kalt of Michigan State University for noticing the high spoilage rates

7/27/01:  Thanks to the sharp eyes of M. Moser for picking out an error in the table "Simplified Table Showing Effects of Actions on Candidates". The table cell for "Swap Gore votes for Bush" and "Effect on McCollum" should show No Change.  The error is not further propagated.

8/1/01: Thanks to Ann McAfee's skill for extracting persistent nits from tight places, the following corrections:

Page 4, in the next to the last paragraph which begins "Science fiction fantasist Piers Anthony's magical land . . .": In the 2nd line, it reads "Florida—is no is no more. . . ." One of the "is no"s should be deleted.

Page 6, in the next to last paragraph which begins "So let's illustrate the games . . .": In the 3rd line, it reads "Gore was the Democratic candidates." Should be candidate."

Page 6, the first bullet under the SIMPLIFIED TABLE, which gives definitions: "Crossover voting . . . needs a close quotation mark to make it "Crossover voting."

Page 20, check the table header (These guys are related to these guys) to make sure that the arrows are in the upper cell.

Page 23, the next to the last paragraph which begins, "But wait! There's more! . . ."

Insert the word "at" into the second line to make it "by looking at precincts within counties."

Page 25, the last paragraph beginning with "Perhaps the most ironic

part of this tale . . .": on the 4th line, it should be the "New York Times." The s was left off. the Times.

Page 30, in the first paragraph, the 4th line which reads "We chose those counties that were within 5 percent of the reported." To this, add "values of the vote" to make it "We chose those counties that were within 5 percent of the reported values of the vote."

Page 30, first paragraph, in the sentence beginning "Looking at the remaining ten counties . . . ," add "ratio to "presidential/senatorial" to make it "presidential/senatorial ratio."