QUOTE
Secretary of State Ken Blackwell certified George W. Bush as the winner of Ohio's 20 electoral votes on Monday, and praised Ohio's much-maligned election as having "performed with admiration."
Despite that proclamation, independent candidates prepared to demand recounts in all 88 counties, and the national Democratic Party announced it is launching a broad investigation into reported voting problems in Ohio, including long lines, ballot shortages and voting-machine failures.
The final Ohio tally showed Bush with a 118,775-vote lead over Democrat John Kerry. Bush's margin narrowed from the unofficial election night results, although not enough to require an automatic recount. Absentee and provisional ballots helped Kerry gain ground.
"This was an election when you had some glitches, but none of these glitches was of a conspiratorial nature, and none of them would overturn or change the election results," Blackwell told a news conference.
As he was speaking on the 15th floor of a downtown office building, a half-dozen protesters -- including some from California -- gathered in the lobby to make the case for a recount.
Presidential candidates for the Green and Libertarian parties planned to file requests for recounts beginning this morning. The campaigns raised the $113,600 needed to pay for the recount under Ohio law.
Republicans said a recount won't change anything.
Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe insisted the party's investigation is not to contest the outcome. But he said national Democrats will spare no expense in conducting "a thorough investigation" into voting in Ohio.
The probe would "help insure that every eligible vote cast is truly counted" in future elections.
Despite that proclamation, independent candidates prepared to demand recounts in all 88 counties, and the national Democratic Party announced it is launching a broad investigation into reported voting problems in Ohio, including long lines, ballot shortages and voting-machine failures.
The final Ohio tally showed Bush with a 118,775-vote lead over Democrat John Kerry. Bush's margin narrowed from the unofficial election night results, although not enough to require an automatic recount. Absentee and provisional ballots helped Kerry gain ground.
"This was an election when you had some glitches, but none of these glitches was of a conspiratorial nature, and none of them would overturn or change the election results," Blackwell told a news conference.
As he was speaking on the 15th floor of a downtown office building, a half-dozen protesters -- including some from California -- gathered in the lobby to make the case for a recount.
Presidential candidates for the Green and Libertarian parties planned to file requests for recounts beginning this morning. The campaigns raised the $113,600 needed to pay for the recount under Ohio law.
Republicans said a recount won't change anything.
Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe insisted the party's investigation is not to contest the outcome. But he said national Democrats will spare no expense in conducting "a thorough investigation" into voting in Ohio.
The probe would "help insure that every eligible vote cast is truly counted" in future elections.
http://www.cleveland.com/election/plaindea...15850263090.xml
