www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/24/ohio.vote.ap/index.html
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- A federal judge denied a request by third-party pres idential candidates who wanted to force a recount of Ohio ballots even b efore the official count was finished. Judge James G Carr in Toledo ruled Tuesday that the candidates have a ri ght under Ohio law to a recount, but said it can wait. The judge wrote t hat he saw no reason to interfere with the final stages of Ohio's electo ral process. Officials have said the results will be certified by Decemb er 6 The lawsuit by Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertar ian candidate Michael Badnarik had asked Carr to issue an order requirin g Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell to immediately begin a state wide recount of November 2 voting results. The candidates received a combined 026 percent of the vote in unofficial results. But they contend a recount is necessary to ensure accuracy. President Bush led Democrat John Kerry by 136,000 votes in the unofficial count, and Kerry conceded that there were not enough provisional ballot s to change the outcome. But Kerry supporters have made numerous claims of voting irregularities in Ohio. The two candidates have said they raised more than $150,000 to cover the state's fee for a recount. Ohio law requires payment of $10 per precinct , or $113,600 statewide, but election officials say the true expense wou ld be far greater.
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