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SACRAMENTO — Two Internet sites offering to trade votes among supporters of Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader and Democratic candidate Al Gore have been shut down. 

The Web sites were taken offline Monday evening after the California secretary of state, the state’s top elections officer, told the site administrators that the vote trading violated California law. 

The sites www.voteswap200.com and www.voteexchange.org allowed Gore voters to trade their vote for a Nader vote in another state where the presidential race is close. 

If successful, the trade would manipulate the electoral college election system by helping Gore win undecided states. 

A fair swap would also help Nader maintain support that could get the Green Party federal election dollars in 2004. 

At least three other vote-swapping sites targeting Nader supporters remained online Tuesday. 

“This is not only illegal but it compromises the integrity of elections and the fundamental underpinnings of elections. We can’t take this lightly,” said Alfie Charles, spokesman for Secretary of State Bill Jones. 

Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury said Tuesday that he is not convinced that the sites are illegal. He has asked the state’s attorney general investigate the issue. 

In Oregon, Nader voters could swing the election in the favor of Republican candidate George W. Bush. 

Green Party volunteers in Oregon pointed out that because the state has an all-mail-in ballot, the site may have already done damage to the Nader campaign. 

“There is no reason to think that anyone who signs up for these sites is a real person and there is no way to know if these people are going to vote the way they promise,” said Dan Meek, a Portland attorney volunteering for the Nader campaign. 

Because state officials have little authority over Web sites, other vote-swapping sites could remain online until they are removed by the site author or the company that issued the domain name. 

Earlier this month, Jones announced an investigation into what California voters had offered to sell their votes on www.vote-auction.com. The site offers a block of more than 2,500 California votes to the highest bidder. 

On Tuesday, the block of votes for president in California was selling for $19.61. 

State officials are also cracking down on smaller Web sites. Colin Goldman, a Libertarian candidate running for a Southern California assembly seat was offering a $1,000 raffle to people promising to vote for him. 

That site was shut down Oct. 26 after state officials complained. 

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On the Net: 

VoteSwap2000: http://www.voteswap200.com 

NaderTrader: http://www.NaderTrader.org 

VoteExchange.com: http://www.voteexchange.com 

VoteExchange.org: http://www.voteexchange.org 

Winchell: http://winchell.com/NaderTrader 

Vote-Auction: http://www.vote-auction.com 

Bush campaign site: http://www.georgewbush.com 

Gore campaign site: http://www.gorelieberman.com 

Nader campaign site: http://www.votenader.com