In America, the right to vote is supposedly sacred, but conflicting laws and shady practices cast doubt on the fairness and accuracy of many elections. Electronic voting machines are the latest cause for concern about technological snafus, ill-trained poll workers, and opportunities for partisan manipulation. Using computer software, Texas Republicans and California Democrats have drawn district boundaries that virtually guarantee who wins and who loses. After the vote-count debacle in Florida, which decided the year 2000 presidential election, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act--or HAVA. What's happened to election reform?

• Making News: Bush Meets with Afghan President, Denies Iraq War Spurs TerrorismPresident Bush said today he has declassified the National Intelligence Estimate that reportedly said America has become less safe from terrorism than it was before the war in Iraq. Bush spoke at the White House after a meeting with Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan.
• Reporter's Notebook: Is There a Campaign-Season Ploy behind Falling Gas Prices?For months, energy consultants warned that increasing gasoline prices might never come down. Now, some of those same consultants say there might be a dramatic plunge after all. As prices decline, President Bush's poll numbers are inching up. A Gallup poll shows that 42% of Americans think that gas prices are falling because of manipulation by the Bush Administration. Oil experts sneer at the idea of such a conspiracy, saying that market forces are too complex and involve too many people.