Many pundits and activists have finally figured out what political insiders always knew: our presidential election is not a national election at all. This year's campaign will focus on 15 battleground states that are neither solidly Republican red nor Democratic blue. This intense focus presents important challenges for advocates of fair elections.

In a likely replay of the 2000 election, the battlegrounds are Florida (of course), Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Arizona. Some add Louisiana, Tennessee and Nevada, making 18 states.

These states' concerns will drive much of campaign debate. Those in the Midwest's rust belt have been hit hard by job losses, particularly in well-paying manufacturing jobs. More Latino voters in New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada create dilemmas for Republicans on issues like immigration. With the prominence of Florida and its senior citizens, we'll hear a lot about Medicare and Social Security. And don't expect John Kerry to highlight gun control when swing voters in swing states mostly oppose it.

Key issues of concern to those in other states -- even large states like Texas, New York, Illinois and California -- will get short shrift. Just as in our largely non-competitive congressional races, most Americans effectively will be on the political sidelines.

But that doesn't mean they can't be involved. They can make sure friends and relatives in the battlegrounds are registered to vote. They can post their views on-line and hold house parties to raise campaign cash for the close states. They can even travel to a nearby battleground state and volunteer.

Most immediately, perhaps, they can highlight the need for fair elections. The Florida election debacle in 2000 provided a template for the types of mistakes, manipulations and fraud that must be avoided. Florida failed to allow all willing voters to cast a valid ballot due to the faulty "butterfly" ballot, error-prone voter lists, intimidation of minority voters and more. It didn't count all votes cast due to antiquated equipment and confusion over recounts. It didn't resolve the "spoiler" dilemma by using instant runoff voting to determine a majority winner.

Florida was far from alone in these defects, but unfortunately most voters in 2004 will see few improvements. The White House only grudgingly accepted the Help America Vote Act, and federal funds are just now going to states, too late to help for the 2004 election.

Citizens must be especially alert because the major parties generally have few scruples about tilting electoral rules and procedures for partisan advantage. Given that changing the results in one battleground state could decide the presidency, advocates of fair elections must target their efforts on those states to avoid another Florida controversy. That means working with civic groups like the League of Women Voters, People for the American Way and Advancement Project to:

* Establish high-profile 1-800 numbers where voters can report incidents of fraud or disenfranchisement, with "hot spot" legal teams ready to go to problem areas.

* Ensure voter registrations list are handled fairly, unlike in Florida where tens of thousands of likely Democratic voters were wrongly tagged as ex-felons and removed.

* Educate voters and poll workers that voters now have a federal right to ask for a "provisional ballot" if they aren't on the voter list in their precinct. Election officials must research each provisional ballot and either validate or deny it before certifying any winners.

* Demand greater public scrutiny of both old and new voting equipment, ensuring that antiquated punchcards and more modern optical scan machines and "touchscreens" count voters' ballots as intended.

* Protect the rights of overseas voters, both civilians and those in the military, by sending them ballots in a timely manner.

We also must seek long-term reforms. We should challenge how the Electoral College marginalizes most states and voters. We should push states to require majority winners through instant runoff voting. We should debate ideas like an Election Day holiday and universal voter registration of adults.

This year, however, it all comes down to the battleground states. And the stakes for our country have rarely been higher.

--Steven Hill is senior analyst for the Center for Voting and Democracy (www.fairvote.org) and author of "Fixing Elections: The Failure of America's Winner Take All Politics " (www.FixingElections.com). Rob Richie is the Center's executive director. Readers may write to them at: The Center for Voting & Democracy, 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 610, Takoma Park, MD 20912, or info@fairvote.org.