ASHINGTON - As the two major parties continue their vicious war for the White House, Democratic activists and would-be political reformers are quietly pressing Republican electors to cast their votes for Democrat Al Gore.
Less a movement than a series of individual and overlapping acts, the activists seek to win away two or three votes from among Governor George W. Bush's anticipated 271 Republican electoral votes when the Electoral College convenes Dec. 18.
If three Bush electors defect and vote for Gore, then the Democrats would win the White House regardless of the current court battles.
If two defect, the election would be sent to the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives.
While few expect the activists to succeed in creating what are known as ''faithless electors,'' their efforts add yet another twist to an already highly unusual election.
The biggest hurdle is the nature of the electors themselves. Most are selected after years of party loyalty. And Gore himself has rebuffed the activists' efforts.
''We're very proud to have earned the the popular vote support during this election but we are not seeking nor in any way trying to get electors to switch over,'' Gore spokesman Chris Lehane said early this week.
Lehane, however, acknowledged that in the unlikely event that the effort is successful, Gore would have little choice but to accept the presidency, despite earlier comments by the vice president that he would reject the votes.
