"Recount Reaches Final Stages"

[bones_7672]

http://www.bgnews.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/12/20/41c8c87abb03a

"CLEVELAND - With Ohio inching toward a final recount that trimmed a few hundred votes from President Bush's six-figure margin, elections officials said electronic voting systems worked as promised. But critics were unconvinced.

With recount results reported in 86 of 88 counties Tuesday, President Bush picked up 438 votes and Sen. John Kerry got an extra 680, narrowing Bush's 119,000-vote lead by 242 votes, according to an Associated Press survey of the counties. Both sides agreed last month that the recount wouldn't change the outcome.

But Kerry's concession and Bush's claim of victory didn't deter those who felt that alleged voting irregularities in Ohio called the outcome into question. Most notably, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and backers sued in Columbus to overturn the Ohio election."