It has been a year since the nation was mesmerized by a presidential race so close that it took weeks to resolve. The resulting national scrutiny revealed many flaws in the election system — from antiquated voting machines that spit out high percentages of poorly marked ballots to a hodgepodge of under-budgeted and inconsistent local and state election systems and procedures. A slew of task forces spent the spring and summer studying the problem, and politicians promised quick action. But Congress has yet to pass any legislation. Republicans and Democrats have been deadlocked in a partisan debate over what should be done, and spending money to help state and local governments upgrade their voting systems has been a low priority following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But some still hope there can be action this year.