MSM AP: "Dem Lays Out Case Against Bush's Ohio Win"

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By MALIA RULON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee (news - web sites) protested President Bush (news - web sites)'s re-election Wednesday with a new report claiming serious election irregularities and "significant disenfranchisement" of voters in Ohio.

The report by Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan says Congress should challenge the Electoral College (news - web sites) vote when it is tallied Thursday in the House of Representatives and investigate all claims of voter problems in Ohio.

"We have found numerous, serious election irregularities in the Ohio presidential election," the report said. "There are ample grounds for challenging the electors from the state of Ohio."

Ohio's 20 electoral votes were critical for Bush's defeat of Democratic Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass. A recount showed Bush winning Ohio by 118,599 votes, the Ohio Secretary of State's Office announced Wednesday.

The 102-page report titled "Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio?" lists such problems as unusually long lines, a shortage of voting machines in Democratic-leaning areas, confusion over provisional ballot rules and computer problems.

The report also contends there were widespread instances of intimidation and misinformation, improper purging of voter registration lists, a lack of inspection for about 93,000 ballots where no vote was cast for president, and vote totals not matching registration numbers or exit poll data.

"In many cases these irregularities were caused by intentional misconduct and illegal behavior, much of it involving Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio," the report said.



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