Most Ballots Pass Scrutiny, Ohio Officials Say

[Freddie Stubbs]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: November 17, 2004


COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 16 - The vast majority of provisional ballots cast in Ohio have been legitimate, election officials said, after spending nearly two weeks poring over thousands of disputed votes.

In the 11 counties that have completed checking ballots, 81 percent of the ballots are valid, according to a survey Monday by The Associated Press.

Most of the provisional ballots rejected so far came from people who were not registered to vote, election officials said. Others were missing information like addresses or signatures, or were from people voting in precincts where they did not live.

Unofficial vote totals show President Bush beating Senator John Kerry by 136,000 votes in Ohio, and Mr. Kerry has conceded there are not enough outstanding votes to swing the state his way.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/17/politics/17ohio.html

[havocmom]

1. If most of the provisional ballots are legit, it means many, many people

were almost disenfranchised one way or another. If they hadn't insisted on provisional ballots, they would have been disenfranchised.

So how many more WERE kept from voting?