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Dec. 02, 2004

Ohio certifies election results, but recount demands likely

By Steven Thomma

Knight Ridder

WASHINGTON - Ohio counties certified election results Wednesday, showing that President Bush won the pivotal battleground state Nov. 2 and with it a second term. But the certification did not seal the results, and disgruntled groups alleging vote fraud planned to contest the statewide result and demand a recount.

One coalition of voters and interest groups plans to seek a recount. Another plans to file a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court today contesting Bush's victory.

Despite these challenges -- and rampant charges on the Internet that Republicans stole the election for Bush in Ohio -- there is no proof of fraud, and there is no reason yet to think the election will be overturned. Other factors to consider:

• Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, who conceded Ohio and the election Nov. 3 after his aides concluded there was no reasonable chance for him to overturn Bush's margin there of 136,000 votes, refuses to join the challenges.

Kerry's campaign has filed one legal brief, but it argues only that if there is a recount, it should include all Ohio counties. It does not call for a recount.

• A federal judge has blocked efforts to start a recount quickly.

• Any recount would not start until Dec. 11. That would leave about 24 hours to find enough invalid votes to reverse Bush's victory in Ohio before the state's presidential electors vote for him Dec. 13, which would seal his re-election.

Official results from the state's 88 counties were sent Wednesday to Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. He is expected to certify the tally Monday showing that Bush won the state.

The challenges are proceeding along two tracks. The first -- by the Green and Libertarian parties, whose candidates each polled less than 1 percent in Ohio -- seeks a recount.

``There were widespread reports of irregularities,'' said Blair Bobier, an Oregon attorney for the Green Party. ``They range from computer glitches that recorded more votes for George Bush than there were registered voters to people attempting to vote for one candidate and the screen showing they voted for another candidate.''

The second track is the group that plans to challenge the election, which said it would file a lawsuit today with the state Supreme Court. The group includes 25 Ohio voters and is backed by a Massachusetts-based interest group, Alliance for Democracy.

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