on 11/12/2004, representatives of both the libertarian and green parties announced they were going to file an official demand that ohio presidential ballots be recounted.  under ohio election laws--the correct interpretation of which requires the rosetta stone, a ouija board, divining rods, spitting on your bait, an eviscerated chicken and the supreme court's 2000 decision that awarded florida's electoral votes to gw bush--any losing candidate can demand a recount within 5 days of state certification as long as he or she pays a fee of $10 per precinct.  the recount must be completed within the next 10 days unless the 10th day lands on a friday or an even numbered date at which point, each precinct captain has to guess which number from 1 to 10 the candidate has in mind. ooops..everything from 'unless the 10th day' to the end of that sentence only applies to florida.

does badnarik really expect to change the ultimate outcome of the election by finding enough improperly counted ballots to bump his total over the 0.261% mark (he currently is holding steady at 0.26% )?  in all seriousness, he isnt doing it for that reason (altho a case could be made for withholding the $113,600 fee this is costing him from the pre-election ad budget and using it for recounts; at least he's now getting some ink for his money) but to address the disturbing number of problems that surfaced on election day in ohio.

as evidence the libertarian and green parties arent just being sore-loser dem copy-cats, their effort is being supported by common cause of ohio and the alliance for voters.