Cobb Asks for New, Meaningful Recount

COBB/LaMARCHE 2004 GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
http://www.votecobb.org

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release:
December 30, 2004

Cobb Asks Court to Order a New Recount in Ohio Says Congress Should Not Certify Presidential Vote

Attorneys for Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb today filed an amended complaint in federal court demanding that the recount of Ohio's presidential vote be done again, this time in conformance with state and federal law.

The amended complaint, filed on behalf of Cobb and Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik, seeks to enjoin Ohio's Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, from declaring the final results of the presidential vote "until every county has fully conducted and completed a meaningful and fundamentally fair recount of the votes cast in Ohio for president in accordance with uniform standards throughout the state of Ohio."

"The people of Ohio deserve to have their votes counted fairly and accurately. The initial recount of Ohio's presidential vote was conducted inconsistently, haphazardly and in clear violation of even Mr. Blackwell's minimal standards," said Cobb.

"There's clearly a legitimate basis for a new recount. In a previous hearing, the judge indicated that if the recount was not conducted in accordance with uniform standards that we could petition the court for a new recount," said Cobb-LaMarche Media Director Blair Bobier.

One of the most significant problems with the recount was that few of Ohio's 88 counties randomly selected sample precincts for the recount as is required by Ohio law. Other problems with the recount included a lack of security for the ballots and voting machines-including allegations of interference with voting machines by representatives of the Diebold and Triad corporations-and the refusal of some counties to do a full hand recount when required by law to do so. Detailed reports from observers outlining a wide range of irregularities with the recount are available at http://www.votecobb.org/recount/ohio_reports/index.php.

"With the Ohio results still not final, it would be inappropriate for Congress to certify the presidential vote, especially while it is the subject of pending litigation in federal court," said Cobb.

Cobb will be in Washington, DC on January 6, the day Congress considers the votes of the presidential electors, speaking at public rallies and urging Congress to reject the votes from Ohio's Electoral College delegation. Cobb will speak at a rally in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, at 10 a.m., and at a separate event later in the day at Upper Senate Park on Capitol Hill.

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MORE INFO

Additional information about the recount and the Cobb-LaMarche campaign can be found at http://www.votecobb.org.

The website for the national Green Party is http://www.gp.org.

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