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.