| Vote errors in ohio democratic precincts Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/10390290.htm?1chttp://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/10390290.htm?1c
Posted on Sat, Dec. 11, 2004 Vote tally in Ohio had flaw
Wrong instructions to voters blamed
The Associated Press
CLEVELAND — A polling place that served two adjoining precincts counted hundreds of votes for fringe candidates Nov. 2, apparently because of mistaken instructions, a Cleveland newspaper reported Friday.
The Plain Dealer's review of voting patterns in Cuyahoga County showed that many of the approximately 1,000 voters in the two precincts cast ballots just steps away at machines meant for the other precinct.
“There was no distinction between precincts,” said Katie Daley, an observer for the Democratic Party who spent Election Day at the voting place, Benedictine High School. “Voters were being told to go to any machine that was open.”
The newspaper reported the problems arose because candidate names were in different positions on the ballot in different precincts. A punch-card ballot would be misread if the voter voted in the wrong precinct and the card was read on the home precinct's machine.
Sen. John Kerry lost Ohio to President Bush by about 119,000 votes out of 5.6 million cast. Voting procedures have been under scrutiny because the closely fought state put Bush over the top.
At the two precincts located at Benedictine, Libertarian Michael Badnarik received 164 votes, almost half as many as Kerry, who got 334. In the adjacent precinct, Constitution Party candidate Michael Peroutka received 215 votes to Kerry's 299.
Most of the problems occurred in heavily Democratic precincts. The errors seem to have cost votes for Kerry, the newspaper reported.
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