(Published January 20‚ 2004)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The state Democratic Party will get some help from Iowa to tally the paper ballots in South Carolina's first-in-the-South primary next month.

The Iowa Democratic Party has offered to loan its staff and computer software used Monday night in the nation's first caucuses.

"We will be bringing their technical team straight to South Carolina for our primary," said state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin.

Erwin said it would take a few days to convert the computer program to South Carolina's precincts and train poll workers in time for the Feb. 3 contest.

More than 5,000 volunteers have been recruited to help run the polls.