Lucas County certifies vote
Kerry trims 50 votes from President's win in state

Toledo Blade   05 January 2005
The Lucas County Board of Elections last night certified the county's recount for the presidential election, the results of which were announced a week ago when the tabulation was completed.

President Bush gained 14 votes and John Kerry netted 64 more votes, giving the President a final tally of 87,160 votes and Mr. Kerry 132,715 votes from Lucas County.

Ohio's 51st Electoral College cast its 20 votes for President Bush on Dec. 13.

However, only a few minutes' notice of the board's public meeting was given prior to its start set for 5:45 p.m. Board officials explained the meeting was moved up from 9 p.m. and declared an emergency so there would be time last night for Gov. Bob Taft to sign the vote documents, then forward them today to Washington.

The certified amended vote totals were sought by the Federal Registry in time for a joint session of Congress set for tomorrow, Carlo LoParo, spokesman for Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, said.

"[The Ohio Secretary of State's office] wanted us to do it sooner rather than later today," Paula Hicks-Hudson, director of the board of elections, said.

Late last week, the board of elections meeting was set for 7:30 last night, but it later was pushed back to 9 p.m. because of board vacations and a meeting of the Democratic Party's central committee at 8 p.m.

The four-member board of elections voted 3-0 last night to certify the recount results, with board member Sam Thurber absent. Lucas County concluded its recount on Dec. 21.

The vote by the board of elections was delayed until yesterday because it lacked a quorum during the holidays. Board member Bernadette Noe returned yesterday from vacation to allow the vote.

Mr. LoParo said last night that his office did not approve the 9 p.m. meeting time. It posed logistical problems for delivering documents to Washington certifying the results, he said.

Mr. Blackwell's office learned of the 9 p.m. meeting time yesterday, then directed the board of elections to hold its meeting earlier.

The Blade received notification of this special meeting only seven minutes before its start.

Ron Royhab, vice president-executive editor of The Blade, called the notification poorly handled and "much too late," not only for the newspaper but for members of the public who have a right under Ohio law to attend such meetings.

Mr. LoParo agreed the notice was insufficient. "I would have hoped they would have provided you with much more advance notice," he said.

Ms. Hicks-Hudson said the elections board began sending faxes about 4:40 p.m. about the change of the meeting time. She asserted The Blade's fax machine must have been busy.

In the Lucas County recount, seven more votes were found for Green Party candidate David Cobb, bringing his county total to 15.