The 2004 US presidential election ended election night without a declared winner, as disputed vote counts in Ohio threw the contest into limbo reminiscent of the 2000 Florida recount crisis. Network projections gave President George W. Bush 254 electoral votes across 28 states, while Democrat John Kerry held 242 votes in 18 states plus Washington DC. With Ohio's 20 electoral votes potentially decisive, some television networks called the state for Bush while others declined to do so.
Kerry's campaign refused to concede, citing more than 250,000 provisional ballots still uncounted in Ohio, where Bush led by roughly 170,000 votes. Running mate John Edwards pledged to fight for every ballot. Ohio's secretary of state said officials would need 10 days to verify provisional ballots before counting could begin.
Bush held a nationwide popular vote lead of approximately 3.5 million ballots, with 87 percent of precincts reporting. Republicans also strengthened their majorities in both chambers of Congress. Turnout was estimated near 120 million voters, potentially the highest in four decades, with long lines reported across the country and some Ohio polling sites staying open past their scheduled closing times.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.