2008 Woodie Awards
Record Turnout Fuels Close Races
Coming down to the wire, the presidential race keeps people up.
Zabie Mansoory, Susan Maltby, LaGina Phillips
Issue date: 11/3/04 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
With polls closing at 8 p.m. Tuesday, the race between President George W. Bush and John Kerry, the four-term U.S. senator from Massachusetts, was still too close to tell at press time.
Reminiscent of the 2000 race, America still didn't know who would occupy the White House late last night. At press time, Bush was leading with 246 electoral votes, according to ABC News. Kerry had 206 electoral votes according to various media outlets, taking California and Washington.
The outcome is still pending on Ohio, the last of the three largest battleground states, including Florida, which Bush took and Pennsylvania, which Kerry won.
"The world watches our great democracy function, and there would be nothing better for our system for the election to be conclusively over tonight so that - I think it's going to be me - so I can go on and lead this country," said President George W. Bush.
If Bush takes Alaska as expected - and Ohio - and Kerry wins every other state, there will be a 269 tie and the decision will be left to congress.
"No matter what happens our country will be stronger, it will be united," said Kerry, watching poll results from Boston. "We will be united and we will move forward because that's what most Americans need to do."
To win the presidency, a candidate must gain majorities in enough states to collect at least 270 Electoral College votes, appropriated among states based on congressional representation. That tally, rather than the national vote total, determines the winner.
The election was not without scattered reports of voting irregularities and with narrow results in several states, but nothing severe enough to call last night's results immediately into question.
Reminiscent of the 2000 race, America still didn't know who would occupy the White House late last night. At press time, Bush was leading with 246 electoral votes, according to ABC News. Kerry had 206 electoral votes according to various media outlets, taking California and Washington.
The outcome is still pending on Ohio, the last of the three largest battleground states, including Florida, which Bush took and Pennsylvania, which Kerry won.
"The world watches our great democracy function, and there would be nothing better for our system for the election to be conclusively over tonight so that - I think it's going to be me - so I can go on and lead this country," said President George W. Bush.
If Bush takes Alaska as expected - and Ohio - and Kerry wins every other state, there will be a 269 tie and the decision will be left to congress.
"No matter what happens our country will be stronger, it will be united," said Kerry, watching poll results from Boston. "We will be united and we will move forward because that's what most Americans need to do."
To win the presidency, a candidate must gain majorities in enough states to collect at least 270 Electoral College votes, appropriated among states based on congressional representation. That tally, rather than the national vote total, determines the winner.
The election was not without scattered reports of voting irregularities and with narrow results in several states, but nothing severe enough to call last night's results immediately into question.
