Having some conversations with election-watchers (lawyers/commentator types) in Ohio (the alternative was listen to Bernie Sanders). I wanted to know what their responses were when I brought up the people-waiting-for-ten-hours-example that I imagine might be a soundbite on the evening news tonight. Here’s some of what I got back:

Robert Alt:

There are multiple responses:
1) First and foremost: from a legal standpoint, the delay and any voter suppression caused by those who were discouraged from voting did not make any difference as to the outcome of the election, and therefore it is not a basis for any remedy—such as failing to count the electoral votes. The margin of victory in Ohio was more than 118,000 votes. Kerry supporters simply can’t meet their burden of demonstrating that there were more than 119,000 discouraged Democratic voters.
2) Picking up on the italicized language, in the materials that I have seen, the objectors fail to take into account delays in polling places that were more heavily Republican, or to address the simple statistical reality that even in Democratic strongholds like Cuyahoga County, there would be a reasonable number of Republican voters who were also discouraged by long lines.
A little more on the topic:
Part of the problem with this entire line of reasoning is that it assumes the possibility of perfect elections. In every election, there will be some errors–generally about a 3 percent error rate. In 2000, the local error rate mattered because the margin of victory was razor thin. This year, however, the election was not close enough for any errors to make a difference, but the Michael Moore left is still clinging to errors–both real and largely imagined–in the vain hope that it proves the election should have gone otherwise.
It is also worth noting that voting problems can arise from the best of intentions. For example, in recent elections, some of the longer delays have been attributable to the use of newer voting systems (such as touchscreen systems), which were put into place to assure greater accuracy, but which led to delays because of technical problems or user unfamiliarity.

Ohioan #2:

it’s unfortunate, but as I understand it local county boards of elections are responsible for that sort of thing – not the Republican Party or Ken Blackwell or whatever – and many of the local county boards are in Democratic strongholds, so how can it be Republicans’ fault?
It’s bad that people had to wait a long time – just as it was bad that networks called Florida for Gore before the polls closed in the panhandle – but it is legally irrelevant.