Florida ditches new primary plan

Mrs Clinton won by a large margin in January

The Democratic Party in Florida has decided not to stage a re-run of the state's primary election to choose a candidate for the US presidential poll.

Florida Democrats had planned to re-run the ballot using mainly postal votes to try to resolve a row over the vote.

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton won January's vote by a large margin and theoretically won many delegates.

It did not count as Florida Democrats had lost the right to send delegates to August's crucial nominating convention.

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) stripped Florida of its delegates because the state party held its primary early without permission.

Obama opposition

Party leaders had said they were concerned about proposals for a re-run.

Mr Obama voiced concerns about whether a postal ballot would be fair

With Hillary Clinton and her Democratic Party rival, Barack Obama, locked in a tight race, Florida was seen as of key importance in deciding which candidate should be the party's presidential candidate.

Supporters of Mr Obama had opposed re-staging the primary.

Mr Obama expressed concern over whether a Florida postal vote could be held with fairness and accuracy if it was organised at such short notice. But had said his campaign would "abide by whatever the DNC decides".

Mrs Clinton had called for the primary to be run again or the January results honoured.

The DNC had said it would not support the plan unless both Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton backed it.

The proposed new primary would have been a combination of postal and walk-in votes.

Resolution

At the moment the votes of the 1.75 million Democrats who took part in the first primary will not count.

DEMOCRATIC DELEGATE RACE BARACK OBAMA: 1,617 Delegates won on 11 March: 17 Total states won: 26 HILLARY CLINTON: 1,498 Delegates won on 11 March: 11 Total states won: 16 Delegates needed to secure nomination: 2,024 Source: AP at 0800 GMT 18 March Denver horse-trading ahead Delegate count overview Q&A: Delegates

Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, had urged state leaders and the presidential candidates to come on board.

Under the plan, all of Florida's 4.1 million registered Democrats would have been sent a ballot in the post and would have the choice of posting it back or casting it in person at a polling station.

The Illinois senator currently leads the fight for delegates with 1,602 to Mrs Clinton's 1,497, according to the Associated Press.

The successful candidate needs 2,025 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.

The Democratic Party was keen to find a resolution that avoids damaging in-fighting, with an eye to the general election contest in November against presumptive Republican nominee John McCain.