Election Day is also the deadline for nearly all reforms mandated by the Help America Vote Act, the sweeping overhaul of the nation's doddering and antiquated voting machinery that was enacted after the ballot breakdown of 2000.
Some voter groups predict chaos. Others foresee long lines and vote counts stretching beyond midnight. Election officials have called for calm and for patience at the voting booth.
Voters can do a number of things to prepare themselves for all the changes — which include new state lists for verifying registration; new electronic machines that will be used by 1 in 3 Americans, and changes in state laws about what kind of identification voters must present at the precinct.
According to voter-rights groups and nonpartisan election organizations, these are the best guidelines for protecting your right to vote and for getting help at the polls:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/trouble_voting