Ohio certifies Bush win by smaller margin
President Bush carried Ohio by 118,775 votes in last month's election, 17,708 fewer than reported at the time but not enough to change the outcome in the crucial state, officials said on Monday.
John Kerry conceded to Bush the day after the Nov. 2 balloting, saying an analysis showed he could not win Ohio, which provided Bush the final margin of victory and a second term.
Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell certified the outcome on Monday, based on a county-by-county canvass done under state law in the days since the election. It showed Bush with 2,858,727 or 50.82 percent to 2,739,952, or 48.7 percent, for the Democrat Kerry
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Legal challenges surrounding the vote in Ohio, however, were not over. Presidential candidates for the Green and Libertarian parties said they planned to ask Blackwell for a recount, and at least one other lawsuit challenging the voting procedures was still alive.
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