In political parlance, an “October Surprise” is a dramatic event occurring late in an election campaign which dramatically affects the outcome of the election. (For example, if the Americans held hostage by Iranian students had been released in October 1980, President Jimmy Carter might have been re-elected.) Happening in October is key—if the event occurs earlier, the opposition would have time to regroup and respond, and if it occurs later, there won't be enough time for the event to influence the election.
In this talk, we'll nonetheless discuss the possibility of a November Surprise which could affect the outcome of the 2004 Presidential election—the use of electronic voting machines.
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