Gore supporters fall short in effort to put him on Michigan ballot

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Efforts to collect enough signatures to put Al Gore on Michigan's January 15th Democratic presidential primary ballot have fallen short.

Supporters needed to collect more than 12,000 valid signatures by today, but collected only around 3,000.

Michigan Draft Gore co-chairman Bob Alexander says the group collected only about a fifth of the money it needed to mount a full-time petition drive.

Gore won Michigan in his unsuccessful 2000 presidential bid, but so far has not said he'll run again for the White House.

He still could get on the January 15th ballot as a write-in candidate if he files with the Michigan secretary of state's office by January 4. But his name will not appear on the regular primary ballot.