Ohio Winds Up Its Recount of Ballots

Election officials finished the presidential recount in Ohio on Tuesday, with the final tally shaving about 300 votes from President Bush’s six-figure margin of victory in the state that gave him a second term.

The recount shows Bush winning Ohio by 118,457 votes over Democratic candidate Sen. John F. Kerry, according to unofficial results provided by the 88 counties. Lucas County, home to Toledo, was the last to finish counting.

The state had earlier declared Bush the winner by 118,775 votes and planned to adjust its totals later this week to reflect the recount.

The Kerry campaign supported the recount, but said it did not expect the tally to change the election winner. Supporters of the recount, requested by two minor party candidates, said they wanted to make sure every valid vote was counted.

Kerry gained 734 more votes in the recount, and Bush picked up 449, mostly from disqualified ballots that were counted in the second tally because hanging chads had come loose when ballots were handled again or rerun through counting machines.

That put Kerry 285 votes closer to Bush. The president’s victory margin declined by about three dozen more votes when some counties adjusted their certified vote totals.

The Green and Libertarian party presidential candidates asked for the recount and raised the $113,600 required under state law for the process.

Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell has estimated that the recount will end up costing taxpayers $1.5 million.

A group of voters citing fraud have challenged the election results with the Ohio Supreme Court. The voters have cited irregularities including long lines, a shortage of voting machines in minority precincts and problems with computer equipment.