Ohio Secretary of State Releases Presidential Recount Data

Today, the Ohio Secretary of State finally released totals for the presidential recount. Bush gained 1,037 votes; Kerry gained 1,213 votes; Peroutka gained 33 votes; and Badnarik lost 19 votes, according to the Secretary of State.

The Ohio Secretary of State’s webpage labels Badnarik and Peroutka (the only non-major party presidential candidates to appear on the ballot) as “non-partisan” candidates, even though both of them appeared on the ballot as “other-party nominee.” Ohio election law requires the label “other-party nominee” for those candidates who choose it, if they use the independent petition procedure. Nothing in the Ohio law authorizes the Secretary of State to label such candidates “non-partisan,” as he has done on his web page. Complaints to his office about the label have gone unreturned.

Nader Files Third Ballot Access Case with US Supreme Court

Yesterday, Ralph Nader asked the US Supreme Court to hear his Texas ballot access case. His Pennsylvania ballot access and Oregon ballot access case are already pending before that court. The issues in Texas are whether it is constitutional for a state to require more signatures, and an earlier deadline, for independent presidential candidates than for new parties.

US Senate Vote by Party

On November 2, 2004, Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate won an absolute majority of all votes cast in the nation for that office. The results, by party, were:

Democratic
51.04%*
Republican
46.33% 
Libertarian
.89% 
Constitution
.47% 
Peace & Freedom
.28% 
NY Conservative
.26% 
Veterans
.19% 
Green
.18% 

*this includes votes cast for the Democratic nominee in New York on the Independence and Working Families Party lines)

Independent candidates and the nominees of other parties received the remaining share of the votes.

Montana Supreme Court Unseats Jore

Today, the Montana Supreme Court issued an order, reversing a lower state court. The lower court had upheld the officials who had recounted the race for district 12, Montana House of Representatives. The recount officials, and the lower court, had agreed that the race was tied. Since the race had been tied, the Governor had exercised her right to fill the vacancy, and she had appointed Jore.

But the Montana Supreme Court said that “at least one” of Rick Jore’s votes is not valid. The Court said it would explain its reasoning later. Rick Jore would have been the first person elected to a state legislature as a Constitution Party nominee.

Since Jore had been appointed to the seat by the Governor, on the basis that the popular vote had been tied, the fact that the Montana eliminated “at least one” of Jore’s votes, means that Jore was not eligible to be appointed to the seat.

Political Party Showings in US House races for November

Various political parties polled the following number of votes for their US House of Representatives nominees (these numbers include affiliate parties with different names):

Republican
55,887,080
Democratic
53,077,115
Libertarian
1,053,658
Green
320,259
Constitution
187,006
Reform
85,539
other parties
621,041
indep. candidates
760,985

The Louisiana election returns from November were used above. No Louisiana run-off returns from December are included.

In cases in which two parties jointly nominated the same person, and voters could cast a vote under either party label, the figures above give credit to each party. For example, if a candidate was nominated jointly by the New York Republican Party and the New York Conservative Party, votes cast under each party label are kept separate. By contrast, most other sources that calculate the total vote for U.S. House of Representatives by party give all such votes to the Republican column.