Berlin - As the state of Florida carefully counts every last ballot to determine whether Mr George W. Bush or Mr Al Gore becomes the next US president, the unusually large numbers of Floridians serving in the air force abroad could play a vital role. "Believe it or not, it's kind of 50-50," said Mr Cedrick Clark, a medical logistics specialist at the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany. "The older guys are more Bush. Most of the younger guys are more Gore.
"I voted for Gore all the way," he said. "Now I'm on pins and needles."
Officials say the US air force has 5,200 active duty airmen from Florida in Europe and another 4,300 in the Pacific, most of whom are likely to heed frequent calls via military radio, newspaper and e-mail to cast absentee ballots.