EXCERPT

WASHINGTON, April 11 � The Senate overwhelmingly passed an ambitious bill today to clean up the nation's election procedures, to help states buy new voting machines and to prevent ballot disputes like those that left painful memories of "butterfly ballots" and "hanging chads" after the last presidential election.

The bill, approved by a vote of 99 to 1, goes to a conference committee of senators and members of the House of Representatives. In December, the House passed legislation with a similar purpose that differs from the Senate bill in many significant details.

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