A candidate for the Democratic Party election primary in Florida is considering a legal challenge after a polling day dogged by technical and staffing problems left the result too close to call.

Former Attorney-General Janet Reno has refused to rule out legal moves after voting from 97% of precincts put her about two percentage points behind newcomer Bill McBride.

By Wednesday, Mr McBride had unofficially secured 596,472 votes, or 45%, compared with Ms Reno's 577,380, or 43%. Daryl Jones had 154,367 votes (12%)

Florida had spent $32m setting up a new computerised voting system following the controversy of the 2000 presidential election, when problems with the old punch-card systems held up the final result for more than a month.

Voting extended

Ms Reno's campaign manager Mo Elleithee said: ''When that many people are turned away from the polls, it raises enough concerns that we're going to have to take a good, hard look at the legitimacy of the election.''

I frankly wonder what in the hell they've been doing... They've had two years to get ready for this election

Florida Secretary of State Jim Smith

Governor Jeb Bush had to extend voting by two hours following the technical problems in the vote.

Mr Bush said: ''It is shameful. There's no excuse for not having precinct workers in a precinct for voting, no excuse for not turning on the machines."

Florida was one of 10 US states - as well as the District of Columbia, seat of the capital - holding primaries on Tuesday.

Many new machines failed to connect. Others rejected voters' identification cards.

"Apparently many election workers did not know how to operate the machines," said Gisela Salas, an election supervisor.

Democrats are picking a candidate for November's state governor election. The winner will face Jeb Bush in November's election.

Reno: unofficially just two percentage points behind

Ms Reno had been a clear favourite throughout the campaign, but in the past few days Bill McBride has surged in the polls on the back of a string of endorsements.

He is seen as the strongest threat to Jeb Bush, and is now the target of Republican attack in television adverts.

Voting hours had to be extended after failures in the counties of Miami-Dade and Broward - which, along with Palm Beach, were at the heart of the recount fiasco in 2000.

In Miami-Dade, one voter said attendants at polling stations had been unable to speak Spanish and could not assist older members of the area's large Cuban community to vote.

Lack of preparation

Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas said: ''Our community suffered a black eye on a day we expected to celebrate our democracy.''

Florida Secretary of State Jim Smith, in charge of the elections, reportedly blamed lack of preparation for equipment failures.

"Sixty-five of our counties did a great job," he said. "We're here because two counties didn't get the job done.

"I frankly wonder what in the hell they've been doing in those counties. They've had two years to get ready for this election," he said.