Election 2004: Still Not Over
By David Paul Kuhn,
CBSNews.com chief political writer
Some results of the general election remain unresolved as the nation heads into Thanksgiving weekend.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office plans to investigate the "security and accuracy of voting technologies" used on Election Day. But in three states, delays have left voters in the dark as to what really happened on Nov. 2.
In Washington state, the result of a recount in the governor's race was announced Wednesday, but yet another recount is likely. In Ohio, the results of the presidential vote are still not final. And in New Mexico, officials only announced on Tuesday that President Bush had won the state.
As partisan pivoting continues, here's a breakdown of three states where Election Day has been a three-week affair.
Washington State
The only unresolved gubernatorial race in the country was resolved Wednesday, at least for the time being, as Republican Dino Rossi came out ahead of Democrat Christine Gregoire in a recount. The margin: 42 votes.
The Democrats are expected to request another recount, this one by hand. Such a detailed recount would not be completed until Christmas. State Democrats have already put out a press release declaring that a hand count is the "only" way to ensure an accurate tally.
With the state's inauguration day of Jan. 12 fast approaching, Republicans are already asking Gregoire to concede. Democrats expected Gregoire to win the state easily. Like the nation at large, the blue party is blue in Washington.
If it comes to a hand recount, they are done county by county and at the expense of the party making the request. If the results reverse the election, the party is refunded.
Already, Republicans and Democrats are raising money for the recount, making it a near certainty. For Christmas, Washington may end up wishing for a governor.
Ohio
President Bush won the Buckeye state. But his margin of victory remains to be seen. Final results will be certified on Dec. 6.
Third party requests for a recount were rejected by a federal judge on Tuesday. (Their .26 percent of the vote didn't buy them much of an argument.)
"All the federal judge simply said is that the recount can wait until we certify the election," says Herb Asher, professor of political science at Ohio State University
According to the unofficial tally, President Bush won the state by about 136,000 votes. Sen. John Kerry conceded Ohio – and with it the election – because he believed there remained little chance he could overcome the margin with what ballots remained.
There were 155,000 provisional ballots cast in Ohio. But the Kerry-Edwards campaign reasonably expected some to be rejected and for President Bush to garner enough to hold his lead.
Asher expects 75 percent of provisional ballots to be accepted in the final tally. In 2000, officials deemed 90 percent of them valid.
"The proportion of provisional ballots that are valid in some counties is low," Asher added. "The expectation is that the margin comes down about 30,000 votes. But it depends on how many provisional ballots are valid.
"And we have to decide with regard to the provisional votes why they weren't counted," he continued.
Further complicating the final tally are problems with voting machines. Most notoriously, in the week following Election Day it surfaced that a Columbus electronic voting machine added 3,893 votes to President Bush's total.
Like Washington state, both political parties have raised enough money in Ohio to cover a recount. If the specter of a recount comes to Ohio, so will the ghosts of elections past. Hanging chads anyone?
New Mexico
New Mexico likes to keep things close.
Finally on Tuesday, the state's canvassing board declared President Bush the winner by a margin of just 5,988 votes.
Though less than 1 percent of the state's total vote, the winning margin is gargantuan compared to 2000, when Democrat Al Gore won by a mere 366 votes ago.
What took New Mexico so long? There were 18,000 provisional ballots that needed counting.
By David Paul Kuhn