Ananova:

The US presidential election could be decided by the poor design of ballot papers in one Florida county where voters are said to have been confused.

On the voting form in Palm Beach County, the box closest to the name of Democrat candidate Al Gore was actually for third party candidate Pat Buchanan.

The form had an arrow running from each candidate's name to the punch-hole used to record votes for them - but Britain's Plain English Campaign says Gore voters may have been particularly baffled by the form. This is because the form spread over two pages and Mr Gore's name and punch-hole were on separate sheets.

At the first official count, Pat Buchanan won 3,407 votes in Palm Beach County - a high number for a rank outsider.

The Plain English Campaign says that even if only one in ten of those votes was intended for Gore, it would have been enough to swing the state - and therefore the entire country - to Bush, if the first count proves accurate.

Latest reports give George W Bush a 224-vote lead over Mr Gore in Florida. Whoever takes the state following a recount will be the next president.

In Florida, each county designs its own ballot papers. The state has an unusually high number of senior citizens who may have found the form too confusing to be sure who they were voting for.

The Plain English Campaign supports the use of clear English on official forms and Director Chrissie Maher described the mix-up as stunning.

She said: "It just goes to show how serious a confusing document can be. We've all been irritated when we get baffled by our video recorder instructions and tape the wrong channel. But it hardly compares to a confusing form deciding the most powerful position on the planet.

"I hope this mistake doesn't cheat the American people of their democratic choice. But if it does, perhaps people will finally learn to test forms properly before unleashing them on the public."