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United States presidential election, 2004 timeline
The following is a timeline of events during the 2004 U.S. presidential election:

2002

2003

January 2003

February 2003

March 2003

April 2003

  • April 2: Speaking before an audience in Peterborough, New Hampshire, John Kerry says “We need a regime change not just in Iraq. We need a regime change here in the United States.” Republicans criticize Kerry for speaking out against a wartime president.
  • April 17 - Democratic fundraising totals for the first quarter of 2003 are reported. John Edwards raises $7.4 million, John Kerry raises $7.0 million, Dick Gephardt raises $3.5 million, Joe Lieberman raises $3.0 million, Howard Dean raises $2.6 million, Bob Graham raises $1.1 million, and Dennis Kucinich and Carol Moseley Braun raise less than $1 million each.

May 2003

  • May 1 - George W. Bush lands on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gives a speech announcing the end of major combat in the Iraq war. Clearly visible in the background is a banner stating "Mission Accomplished". Bush's landing is criticized by opponents as overly theatrical and expensive. The banner, made by White House personnel (according to a CNN story: ) and placed there by the U.S. Navy, is criticized as premature. Nonetheless, Bush's approval rating in the month of May rides at 66%, according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll. This event will come back to haunt Bush as combat in Iraq continues.
  • May 3 - Democrats meet at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina in the first formal debate between the nine challengers for the 2004 Democratic party presidential nomination. The candidates disagree on the war against Iraq, health insurance, and even President Bush's tax cuts, but unite in criticizing Bush's handling of the economy.
  • May 6 - Gary Hart, former Senator from Colorado, announces he will not seek the Democratic nomination for President in 2004.
  • May 7 - Vice President Dick Cheney announces he will be President Bush's running mate again in 2004. Cheney's position on the ticket had been the subject of some speculation because he has had four heart attacks, though none as Vice President. Bush had still not formally announced he would seek re-election yet.
  • May 16 - President Bush formally files papers with the Federal Election Commission seeking a second term as President.

June 2003

July 2003

  • July 3 - Democratic fundraising numbers for the second quarter of 2003 are reported and announced. Howard Dean surprises many raising $7.6 million, John Kerry raises $5.9 million, while John Edwards and Joseph Lieberman raise roughly $5 million each.
  • July 14 - Edie Bukewihge, Democrat, formally filed papers with the Federal Election Commission seeking a first term as President.
  • July 18 - David Cobb announces his candidacy for the Green Party nomination in Washington, D.C. As part of a "genuine effort to reach progressives across party lines", he announces that his strategy includes a "Strategic States Plan", concentrating efforts where Electoral College votes are not "in play". Some Greens decry the lack of an "all-out" strategy from Cobb and the loss of ballot status that would ensue.

August 2003

  • August 11 - Delaware Senator Joseph Biden announces he will not seek the Democratic nomination, saying his campaign would be "a long shot" and that he could wield the most influence in the Senate.

September 2003

October 2003

  • October 6 - Bob Graham announces on Larry King Live that he is ending his presidential campaign.
  • October 15 - Howard Dean files FEC DISCLOSURE FORM for the third quarter of 2003, reporting contributions of over $14.8 million John Kerry reports a total of just over $4.0 million Other candidates report smaller totals.
  • October 22 - Ralph Nader removes his name from the California Green Party presidential primary ballot.
  • October 28 - In a press conference President Bush says the following about the May 1 "Mission Accomplished" banner on the USS Abraham Lincoln: "The 'Mission Accomplished' sign, of course, was put up by the members of the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying that their mission was accomplished. I know it was attributed somehow to some ingenious advance man from my staff they weren't that ingenious, by the way."
  • October 28 - In an interview President Bush said the following after massive attacks on US and Iraq police forces in Iraq: "The more successful we are on the ground, the more these killers will react," Bush said as he sat in the Oval Office with L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq. He added: "The more progress we make on the ground, the more free the Iraqis become, the more electricity is available, the more jobs are available, the more kids that are going to school, the more desperate these killers become, because they can't stand the thought of a free society."

November 2003

  • November 1 - In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Howard Dean is quoted as saying "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks. We can't beat George Bush unless we appeal to a broad cross-section of Democrats." This comment stirs strong controversy among Democratic contenders.
  • November 18 - George W. Bush makes a state visit to London in the midst of massive protests against him.

December 2003

2004

January 2004

  • January 7 - George W. Bush's campaign manager Ken Mehlman announces that the President's re-election campaign raised $130.8 million from 494,000 individual donors during 2003. 415,000 of the 494,000 Bush donors contributed less than $200 each. Reportedly, the goal is to raise between $150 million and $170 million by the mid-summer conventions.
  • January 13 - The non-binding Washington, DC Democratic primary is held with four major candidates on the ballot. Howard Dean received 43% of the vote, while Al Sharpton had 34%. Carol Moseley Braun was in third place with 12% followed by Dennis Kucinich who had eight percent. The primary, however, was binding upon the Green Party, making it the Greens' first primary of the season. David Cobb received 37 percent of the vote, Sheila Bilyeu received 19 percent, 13 percent preferred the party not run a candidate, and the remaining 31 percent was distributed among write-in candidates.
  • January 15 - Saying she was proud of "breaking new ground" in her Presidential bid, Carol Moseley Braun drops out of the race and endorses Howard Dean.
  • January 18 - Howard Dean visits Plains, Georgia to meet with former President Jimmy Carter. Carter makes a statement in a press conference following a church service the two men attended: "I have made an announcement in advance that I'm not going to endorse any particular candidate. But I have been particularly grateful at the courageous and outspoken posture and position that Governor Dean has taken from the very beginning."
  • January 19 - Iowa caucus results: The Iowa caucuses yield unexpectedly strong results for Democratic candidates John Kerry, who earns 38% of the state's delegates and John Edwards, who takes 32%. Former front-runner Howard Dean slips to 18% and third-place, and Richard Gephardt finishes fourth (11%). Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton received minimal support; Joe Lieberman and Wesley Clark had opted not to participate in the Iowa caucuses.
  • January 20 - Following his disappointing showing in Iowa, Dick Gephardt drops out of the Presidential race to return to private life following the expiration of his Congressional term in 2005.
  • January 22 - Howard Dean gives an interview to Diane Sawyer in an attempt to repair his image following the disappointing loss in Iowa, and to control the damage caused by his post-caucus speech, which was widely criticized and ridiculed as the "I have a scream" speech. Sawyer and many others in the national broadcast news media later expressed some regret about overplaying the story after it becomes clear that that audio engineering played a role in his speech sounding so bad.
  • January 27 - John Kerry wins the New Hampshire primary with 38.4% of the vote. Howard Dean finishes second with 26.4%, Wesley Clark third with 12.4%, John Edwards fourth with 12.0%, and Joe Lieberman receives 8.6%.
  • January 29 - First Presidential debate for Green Party candidates, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, between David Cobb, Kent Mesplay, and Lorna Salzman.
  • January 31 - David Cobb wins the Ohio Green primary, partially conducted online, with 39% of the vote. Peter Camejo comes in second with 21%, and Lorna Salzman places third, with 13.5%. Ralph Nader, Paul Glover, Kent Mesplay, and Dennis Kucinich place fourth through seventh respectively, with single-digit percentages.

February 2004

March 2004

April 2004

May 2004

June 2004

July 2004

August 2004

September 2004

October 2004

  • October 1

    • Using grass killer, vandals burn an 8 by 8 foot swastika into the lawn of a Madison, Wisconsin Bush supporter. Police investigate the incident as a hate crime.
    • Republican Party officials in Nevada are accused of voter registration fraud. The FBI is contacted after 15 complaints are made to the registrar for Washoe County, Nevada. Several voter registration contractors are fired.
    • The day after the first Presidential debate, polling and pundits indicate that John Kerry won the 90-minute verbal contest
  • October 2 - Three laptops are stolen from a Bush-Cheney headquarters office in Bellevue, Washington. Though police say the theft does not appear to be politically motivated, Republican Party chair Chris Vance compares the action to Watergate. The laptops contained information on GOTV efforts. State Democratic Party spokespeople condemn the theft.
  • October 5

  • October 6 - With Dick Cheney having accidentally directed viewers of the Vice-Presidential debate to visit 'factcheck.com' instead of 'factcheck.org' (a website which attempts to debunk allegedly false facts in U.S. politics, including claims made about Halliburton), the company that owns the erroneously linked website redirects it to George Soros's website entitled 'Why we must not re-elect President Bush: a personal message from George Soros'. (Slate)
  • October 8

  • October 9

    • Afghanistan holds the first democratic election for president of its country. Pundits say that this will help Bush's campaign.
    • The day after the second Presidential debate, pictures of an apparent hump on George Bush's back lead to speculation that he was wearing a radio receiver and being fed answers.
    • Australian Prime Minister John Howard wins an unprecedented fourth term, despite widespread opposition to Australia's involvement in the Iraq war. Domestic issues, including a strong economy and fears of interest rate increases, dominate the election.
  • October 10

    • The New York Times Magazine publishes an interview with John Kerry. This quote is used by the Bush campaign to attack Kerry by claiming he is weak on terrorism, and used by Bush in the debate on October 13: "We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance. As a former law-enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life."
    • Bush-Cheney campaign headquarters in Spokane, Washington are broken into. Petty cash is stolen, and a TV and computer are targeted, but are left behind, presumably because the burglars were startled. Though this is the second break-in of Bush-Cheney headquarters in the state in as many weeks, police doubt the burglary is politically motivated.
    • Bush administration is criticised for filming a promotional ad in the style of a news story.
    • Bush-Cheney headquarters in Canton, Ohio are broken into, looted, and vandalized.
  • October 11

    • Republican nominee for State House District 82 in Tennessee, Dave Dahl, accuses incumbent Democrat Craig Fitzhugh of distributing a flier portraying voting for George W. Bush as "retarded." But the man Dahl points to as being able to prove the accusation cannot do so, saying only that "someone" got the flier from "somebody." Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Randy Button calls the accusation "dirty politics," and charges that the flier was planted in Fitzhugh's campaign office.
    • The Sinclair Broadcasting Group orders its 62 television stations - many of them in battleground states - to air Stolen Honor: Wounds that Never Heal two weeks before the election. The documentary attacks Senator Kerry's testimony before the Fulbright Hearing in 1971, claiming his statements were untrue and led to increased suffering by American soldiers held as prisoners of war by the North Vietnamese. Eighteen Democratic senators oppose the showing, and ask the FCC to rule that Kerry is entitled to equal time. FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps comes out against the broadcast, saying, "This is an abuse of the public trust." On Fox News' "Dayside with Linda Vester" the next day, Kerry campaign spokesman Chad Clanton accused Sinclair of "obliterating every decent journalistic standard in the book". He also said of Sinclair: "I think they're going to regret this. They better hope we don't win." Sinclair is known for supporting President Bush, and in April refused to broadcast an episode of Nightline that reported on American military casualties in Iraq, for fear that it would hurt the Republican campaign. , , , ,
    • In a speech at Newton, Ohio, Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards claims embryonic stem cell research could mean that "people like Christopher Reeve are going to [...] get up out of that wheelchair and walk again," and criticizes the Bush White House for not supporting such research. The recently deceased Reeve had supported embryonic stem cell research and the Kerry-Edwards campaign.
    • Bush-Cheney '04 Campaign Chairman, Governor Marc Racicot, sends a letter to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney protesting union activities that he claims have led to injuries, property damage, vandalism, and "voter intimidation" at Bush-Cheney '04 and Republican Party offices around the country.
  • October 12

    • Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R), says that John Edward's recent claims about Stem Cell Research may give false hope, branding them "shameful" and "crass". Frist is a medical doctor.
    • A former employee of Voters Outreach of America, operating in the state of Nevada, alleges that the group, after collecting voter registration forms, submitted the Republican forms but shredded the Democratic ones; the Republican National Committee admits having hired Voters Outreach of America but condemns fraud.
    • Democratic Party offices in Toledo, Ohio are broken into, and computers containing campaign information are stolen.
    • RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie threatens MTV's "Rock the Vote" campaign with legal action for raising the possibility of a military draft. Gillespie argues that since a possible draft is an "urban myth" denied by "no less than the President of the United States," Rock the Vote's mention of the issue jeopardizes its non-profit status. MTV labels Gillespie's threat as censorship, and replies that "Just because President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary Rumsfeld, and for that matter Senator Kerry, say that there is not going to be a draft does not make it so."
  • October 13

    • Thomas Lipscomb's "Mystery surrounds Kerry's Navy discharge" appears on the front page of the New York Sun. The article speculates about possible Nixon administration attempts to deprive John Kerry of an honorable discharge from the Navy.
    • The National Rifle Association endorses President Bush, promising millions of dollars for ads, phone banks and other get-out-the-vote efforts on his behalf.
    • Bush and Kerry meet for the third and final debate at Arizona State University. Transcript and Video

      • 51 million viewers watch the debate. Only 15.2 million viewers tune in to watch the Major League Baseball championship games broadcast simultaneously.
      • Photos taken after the third presidential debate fuel the "Bush bulge" theory, which started with photos taken during the second presidential debate, that the President was wearing a radio receiver and was fed his lines.
      • In answering a debate question about whether homosexuality is a choice, Kerry says "If you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as." Although Mary Cheney is open about her sexuality (she is "out"), Kerry's remarks upset mother Lynne Cheney. She says, "[Kerry] is not a good man. What a cheap and tawdry political trick." AP
    • Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and Attorney General Hardy Myers announce an investigation into allegations that Voters Outreach of America might have destroyed voter registration forms of potential Democrats.
    • On ABC's Nightline, Ted Koppel broadcasts interviews with Vietnamese who say they were engaged with John Kerry during the Vietnam War. The interviews cast further doubt on the truth of accusations from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Koppel also interviews SVBT head John O'Neill, who charges that Koppel trusts Communist Viet Cong veterans more than the American veterans who make up SVBT. (Veterans who served on Kerry's Swift Boats also dispute the SVBT charges.)
    • The Federalist Patriot, a conservative internet journal, circulates petition asking Richard Cheney, Bill Frist, and John Ashcroft for the disqualification of John Kerry from office and his prosecution for treason. Though over 170,000 sign the petition, Cheney, Ashcroft, and First do not immediately act to remove Kerry from the ballot. Text of Petition
  • October 14

    • Following the announcement in Oregon, Nevada also announces an investigation into claims that voter registration forms of potential Democrats were destroyed.
    • The Drudge Report posts a page from a Democratic Party field manual, which reads in part that "[i]f no signs of [Republican] intimidation techniques have emerged yet, launch a 'preemptive strike'" to stave off any such attempts. The Democratic Party web site argues that the Drudge has "unfairly characterized" the manual, and posts a fuller excerpt from the manual's section on "How to Organize to Prevent and Combat Voter Intimidation." DNC Website
    • Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards, responds to Lynne Cheney's remarks about Kerry's comment on her daughter's homosexuality. Mrs. Edwards says, "I think that it indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter's sexual preferences." AP
    • Eighteen Democratic Party senators write the FCC requesting equal time in response to Sinclair's broadcast of "Stolen Honor: Wounds that Never Heal." FCC chairman Michael Powell denies that Sinclair's broadcast violates equal time provisions, and responds only that the government will not block the broadcast.
    • In Colorado, voter registration fraud becomes a concern as paid voter registration gatherers flood the state. One Coloradan tells local TV that he had registered to vote "about 35 times" after repeated encounters with registration gatherers. ACORN, whose registration gatherers are linked to similar cases in Ohio and Florida, cooperates with Colorado authorities to trace hundreds of questionable registrations. But ACORN Western regional director Jim Fleischmann argues that local media are making too much of the issue: "Registration fraud is different than voter fraud. Just because you register someone 35 times doesn't mean they get to vote 35 times. They can only vote once."
  • October 15

    • Larry Russell joins the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio. Russell had recently resigned from his position as the South Dakota Republican party get-out-the-vote coordinator amid allegations of voter registration fraud. (AP)
    • Pay-TV distributor iN Demand Networks backs away from a deal to air Michael Moore's film, "Fahrenheit 9/11," alleging "legitimate business and legal concerns." The company also noted that "we regret that our decision has led Michael Moore to consider legal action against us," though they did make clear what legal action they were referring to. Yahoo
  • October 17 - John Kerry receives the endorsement of The New York Times, the Boston Globe, and Minneapolis' Star Tribune. George W. Bush is endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, Denver's Rocky Mountain News, and The Dallas Morning News.
  • October 18

    • George W. Bush visits New Jersey, a state that until recently was showing weak support for George W. Bush and strong support for John Kerry.
    • Rumors fly about John Kerry being excommunicated by the Catholic Church for his views on abortion.
    • George W. Bush denounces John Kerry's so-called "shameless scare tactics" calling it "wrong" and "old-style politics." Bush mentions Kerry's tactics of telling the elderly that if Bush is elected their social security checks will be canceled; telling black voters that their votes are being repressed by Republicans; and telling young people that a draft is imminent.
  • October 19 - Early voting begins in Florida, as well as ten other states, including Texas. Fears have plagued Florida officials since the controversy during the 2000 election, leading to reforms in voting procedures. However, there are claims that electronic voting is unreliable, and there are reported cases of attempts to disenfranchise voters. (CNN) (Guardian)

  • October 20

    • The Vatican announces that John Kerry has not been excommunicated for his position on abortion rights.
    • Fox News publishes an article representing John Kerry's strategy to win the election. Strategies include declaring victory prematurely, and sending out six teams of so-called "SWAT teams" lawyers ready to fly out and fight legal and political battles in disputed states.
    • An uproar in the Bush camp is heard after Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of John Kerry, questions whether Laura Bush, wife of George W. Bush, has "ever had a real job." Bush camp responds that Laura Bush has worked as a teacher and as a librarian, and that raising children is a job. Teresa Heinz Kerry agrees and apologizes.
    • Channel One News announces the results of a mock presidential election. George W. Bush wins 393 electoral votes and John Kerry won 145. Over 1.4 million teens voted.
  • October 21

    • The legal team of Democratic contender John Kerry, as well as activist groups, have already filed a number of voting-related lawsuits in Florida challenging the voting process. Joe Garcia, of the New Democrat Network, says "there are quite literally armies of lawyers."
  • October 22

    • South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long announces indictments of five former staffers of a GOP get-out-the-vote effort, under allegations of absentee ballot application fraud.
  • October 25

  • October 26

    • Near Boynton Beach, Florida, Steven Soper drags his girlfriend, Stacey Silveira, into her house, throws her to the floor, spits on her, points a knife at her and threatens to kill her, because he learned that she planned to vote for Kerry. Soper later pleads guilty to false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery and resisting arrest without violence.
  • October 27

  • October 28

  • October 29

    • The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a Republican challenge to 20,000 voter registrations in Ohio.
    • A new video of Osama bin Laden is released, addressing the American people directly. bin Laden acknowledges responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks, criticizes President Bush, and notes to Americans that "Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al-Qaida. Your security is in your own hands and each state which does not harm our security will remain safe." (CNN)

November 2004

December 2004

January 2005

In depth analysis of week of 2004 election

This page contains a timeline of the 2004 U.S. presidential election. For a more in-depth discussion of the candidates and issues at stake in that election and the campaign history leading up to election day, see U.S. presidential election, 2004. For information on other races conducted the same day, see U.S. Senate election, 2004 and U.S. House election, 2004. For an explanation of the U.S. presidential election process see U.S. Electoral College.

The U.S. presidential election occurred on November 2, 2004. However, as in the 2000 U.S. election, the election was too close for a winner to be declared that night. By the next morning, the Republican campaign was declaring a victory while the results in several states remained too close for the media to declare winners. Soon afterward the Kerry campaign decided that there were not enough uncounted votes in Ohio for them to win that state and Kerry telephoned Bush to concede. At 2 p.m. EST, Kerry held a news conference announcing the same. An hour later, Bush held his own to accept his victory.

In Ohio, the Libertarian and Green parties raised $113,600 necessary to fund a recount of the popular vote, which took place in early December and upheld the Bush victory in that state.

Events

Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Morning

  • Citizens in two small New Hampshire towns were the first to have their ballots counted in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. The polls were opened at midnight and closed within minutes as everyone who had registered had voted. In Dixville Notch, the more famous of the two due to its longstanding tradition of early voting, the incumbent lost ground compared to his showing in 2000, but got more total votes than the challenger: Bush — 19, Kerry — 7. Bush also won the vote in Hart's Location, which managed to report its results slightly earlier this year; Bush — 16, Kerry — 14, and Nader — 1. (09:00 UTC, November 2 2004, Associated Press (Associated Press) (Reuters) In both cases this represented a small swing compared with the 2000 results from the Republican candidate to the Democratic candidate.
  • "U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Tuesday allowed Republicans to challenge voter qualifications at the polls in Ohio, a key battleground state that could determine the presidential election. Stevens acted on an emergency request shortly before polls opened in Ohio and across the nation." He refused to set aside a U.S. appeals court order, issued Monday, which, reversing a lower court's ban, permitted political party members to challenge the credentials of potential voters at polling places across the state. - Reuters (Bloomberg)
  • Some reports say Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., (and possibly other states) have received record numbers of requests for absentee ballots for this election. Absentee ballots are counted differently based on the state , with most states counting them on election day, but with some exceptions, the last deadline being 10 days after the election (all Washington, D.C. absentee ballots, and oversea absentee ballots in Ohio and Florida). Washington State allows 15 days after the election for out of country absentee ballots to come in. It is possible that absentee ballots are being requested due to concerns about electronic voting, or simply due to an expected high overall voter turnout.

Afternoon

  • Early exit polling shows strong Kerry battleground states edge Early exit polling has in the past tended to favor Republicans, though it favored Al Gore in several key states in the 2000 election.
  • Leroy Chiao, currently stationed on the International Space Station, cast his vote by encrypted e-mail and became the first American to vote in a presidential election from space.
  • Slate reports exit polls from ten states, with John Kerry winning in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and New Mexico. Bush projected to win in Nevada, North Carolina and Colorado. Together with the polls from MyDD there are results from 34 states. Kerry leads with 192 electoral votes, while Bush has 152.
  • Based on exit polls, Zogby predicts a decisive 311 to 213 win for Kerry with 14 electoral votes too close to call.
  • As the day progresses, late-day exit polls show that Florida has flipped to Bush, but by a narrow margin, and Nevada to Kerry, giving the challenger a 289-249 edge.

Evening

  • At 7:00 pm EST, polls close in GA, IN, KY, SC, VT, and VA. CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox News Channel all agree in projecting Georgia, Indiana, and Kentucky for Bush, and Vermont for Kerry, giving the Republicans a 34-3 lead.
  • At 7:30 pm, polls close in OH and WV. ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox News call West Virginia for Bush. NBC waits 15 minutes before concurring. Bush leads 39-3.
  • At 8:00 pm, polls are closed in AL, CT, DE, DC, FL, IL, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NJ, OK, PA, TN, and TX. CNN, CBS, Fox, and NBC project Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee for President Bush; Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine (at-large vote and first congressional district), New Jersey, and Vermont for Senator Kerry: current electoral vote is 77-66, Kerry ahead. ABC does not call Maine until a half-hour later and has Kerry ahead 74-66.
  • NBC calls North Carolina for Bush, 81-77 for Bush
  • CNN (and ABC, and possibly others) projects South Carolina (8), Virginia (13), Kansas (6), Nebraska (4), North Dakota (3), South Dakota (3), Texas (34) and Wyoming (3) for President Bush, and New York (31) and Rhode Island (4) for Senator Kerry. Projected count 155-112 for Bush. According to these numbers, both candidates have won the same states that their parties won in the 2000 election, but redistribution of districts means that the Democrats have lost 5 electoral votes and the Republicans have won 2 with respect to those elections.
  • CNN and ABC project Louisiana (9) and Mississippi (6) for the president, leaving the count at 170-112 for the incumbent.
  • FoxNewsChannel has Bush at 193-112 with Missouri (11), Arkansas (5) and Utah (5) now in the Bush column.
  • ABC has Bush at 196-112, with Montana (3) for the president with Bush ahead in swing states Florida, Ohio and way behind in Pennsylvania.
  • FoxNewsChannel says Bush has 75% chance of winning Florida
  • CBS, CNN and FoxNewsChannel call Pennsylvania for Kerry, 196-133 for Bush. Florida would give Bush 223
  • CNN projects California (55) for Kerry, Idaho (4) for Bush. 200-188 Bush in front (for ABC, as CNN has not called Montana).
  • ABC calls Arizona (10) for Bush. 210-188.
  • CNN won't call Florida but says Kerry camp is all but conceding there.
  • ABC has Bush 237-Kerry 188
  • ABC, BBC and CNN call Florida for Bush
  • On CNN, Bush re-election committee chair Marc Racicot says we'll have a result tonight, seemed quietly confident of victory in Ohio and generally. Kerry camp still optimistic about Ohio.
  • Kerry camp less optimistic now, according to FoxNews.
  • ABC says Bush 237 Kerry 195; Fox says Bush 246 Kerry 206
  • BBC, CNN, ABC and FoxNews call Colorado for Bush.
  • Votes still being cast in Ohio. Peter Snow for the BBC estimates a Bush 279 Kerry 259 result if Bush takes Ohio; Kerry 'could get through the winning post otherwise'.
  • Fox calls New Hampshire, plus 2nd Congressional District of Maine, for Kerry.
  • Fox calls Ohio for Bush.
  • BBC claims that the one Maine vote given to Bush has been given to Kerry, who now has all 4 Maine votes.
  • BBC calls Washington for Kerry.
  • Fox calls Alaska for Bush.
  • NBC calls Ohio for Bush.
  • BBC News reports that Bush Camp is timidly beginning to celebrate a victory while Kerry Camp remains silent
  • CNN calls Ohio 'too close to call'.
  • CBS calling Michigan for Kerry.
  • CNN calls Minnesota for Kerry.
  • CNN calls Hawaii for Kerry.
  • CNN reports Democratic VP candidate John Edwards says: "We've waited four years for this victory. We can wait one more night" as results lag in Ohio and Iowa.
  • Former Republican mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani says that Kerry should concede "for the good of the country".

Wednesday, November 3, 2004

  • After 1 a.m., CNN changes exit polling results in Ohio from Kerry ahead to Bush ahead.
  • BBC, ABC, CBS, CNN call Nevada for Bush. FOX News and MSNBC, who both earlier called Ohio for Bush, do not call Nevada for Bush -- yet as of 4:07 a.m. EST. (Calling both for Bush would be equivalent to calling the presidency for Bush.)
  • NBC calls Minnesota for Kerry.
  • Tom Brokaw of NBC News refuses to call Nevada for Bush as long as outstanding absentee ballots (rumored to be as many as 60,000) have not been counted. Another reason for refusal is the contention by the Kerry camp that Ohio should not be called for Bush.
  • BBC, CNN call Wisconsin for Kerry.
  • On a special edition of Today, Tom Brokaw announces that NBC News will not call any more states for either candidate as long as the Kerry camp contests the Bush win in Ohio. This puts the NBC News electoral vote count at 269 for Bush and 238 for Kerry.
  • White House Chief of Staff Andy Card claims victory for Bush before Kerry concedes or any of the networks call a winner.
  • AP & CNN report Kerry has called Bush and conceded the election.
  • Kerry conceded at 2 p.m. EST CNN, NPR; ABC finally calls Ohio for Bush
  • Bush declared victory at 3 p.m. EST saying, "America has spoken, and I'm humbled by the trust and the confidence of my fellow citizens. With that trust comes a duty to serve all Americans. And I will do my best to fulfill that duty every day as your president." Networks have still not declared victors in several states.
  • "Black Box Voting (.ORG) is conducting the largest Freedom of Information action in history. At 8:30 p.m. Election Night, Black Box Voting blanketed the U.S. with the first in a series of public records requests, to obtain internal computer logs and other documents from 3,000 individual counties and townships. Networks called the election before anyone bothered to perform even the most rudimentary audit." http://blackboxvoting.org/#foia
  • Voting machines controversy in PA. Before polls even opened in Philadelphia, 2,000 votes had already been cast on voting machines. Drudge Report Philadelphia election officials and the district attorney quickly discounted this, apparently Republican operatives mistakingly believed the counter that records the total number of votes ever made on the voting machines was a count for a candidate.
  • Voting machines controversy in Ohio. Walden O'Dell, the head of Diebold Incorporated, had said in 2003 that he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."
  • In Iowa, a glitch with an optical vote counting machine caused Greene County to not report results for 6 of 15 precincts. A replacement machine was brought in and counting resumed at 9:45 a.m., including recounting of the 9 precincts already counted. The count was finished in just over an hour and half.

Friday, November 5, 2004

  • "A computer error involving one voting-machine cartridge gave President Bush 3,893 extra votes in a Gahanna precinct. Franklin County’s [Ohio] unofficial results gave Bush 4,258 votes to Democratic challenger John Kerry’s 260 votes in Precinct 1B, which votes at New Life Church on Stygler Road. Records show only 638 voters cast ballots in that precinct." The machines in question are Danaher Controls Inc.'s ELECTronic 1242, an older-style touchscreen voting system, these machines are only used in Franklin County.
  • Left-leaning online blog, Black Box Voting, takes the position that fraud took place in the 2004 election through electronic voting machines.
  • Federal Court orders Florida officials to preserve absentee ballots received after election day.

Sunday, November 7, 2004

  • The Ralph Nader / Peter Camejo campaign filed a challenge to the voting results in New Hampshire after receiving numerous complaints from voting rights activists This effort is widely encouraged by Democrats and Independents due to suspected flaws related to Diebold Election Systems voting machines.

Tuesday, November 9, 2004

  • Rocky Mountain News November 9, 2004 " A printing error that distorted bar codes on paper ballots is being blamed for delays that made this one of the last counties in the nation to report election results."

Thursday, November 11, 2004

  • "Green and Libertarian Presidential Candidates to Demand Ohio Recount."
  • "Nader calls for US election recounts" in Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, and North Carolina

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Start of count of provisional ballots in Ohio. By Ohio law, provisional ballots are counted starting 10 days after the election.

Monday, December 13, 2004

  • Electoral college delegates cast their votes.

  • Legally binding recount begins in Ohio.

Thursday, January 6, 2005

  • The electoral vote for the United States Presidency is officially certified as 286 for Republican President George W. Bush, 251 for Democratic Senator John Kerry, and 1 for Democratic Senator John Edwards, leading to Bush's reelection, despite a formal challenge to Ohio's electoral votes, the first challenge since 1877, resulting in a vote — 1-74 (Yea-Nay) in the Senate and 31-267 in the House.

Election incidents

As of November 10, there were 31,515 reported incidents of voting problems nationally, with approx. 350 new incidents being reported a day. One-third of the problems (12,074) involved voter registration, followed by "polling place inquiries" (7,073), absentee ballot-related problems (3,218) and machine problems (1,599). The latter included complaints that some machines registered votes for George W. Bush when the voter selected John Kerry.

Some allege that voting locations that used electronic voting machines that did not issue a paper receipt or offer auditability correlate geographically with areas that had unilateral discrepancies between exit poll numbers and actual results. Exit polling data in these areas show significantly higher support for Kerry than actual results (outside the margin of error). Some are concerned that, from a statistical perspective, this may be indicative of vote rigging, because the likelihood of this happening by chance is less than 1 in 50,000. Others point out this could be explained by poor exit polling techniques or all discrepancies may be within the margin of error.

The first map shows the counties that voted democratic in the 2004 election. The dark blue counties are the most densely populated counties in Florida. The second map shows the Florida counties where absentee voting problems were reported. Orange counties had between 10 and 100 reported problems. The third map shows the Florida counties that use touch-screen electronic voting machines in red. The fourth map shows the Florida counties in which machine problems were reported. Incidents reports for Palm Beach, Broward County, Miami-Dade, and others are available at

The above map shows all reported election incidents. The dark red states have over 1,000 reported incidents, red states have >100, orange have >10, yellow have >1. An interactive map is available at voteprotect.org

Results of the Election By State

These are links to maps: Timeline of Poll Closings and Network Calls map, BBC News map, CBC News map, CBS News map, CNN.com map, Fox News map, NPR News map, The New York Times map

Map Legend: Unless otherwise noted on results maps the color red represents the Republican Party, and the color blue represents the Democratic Party.

Certificates of Ascertainment

Each state submitted their official election results to the president the President of the Senate and the National Archivist. The following results are from these Certificates of Ascertainment

Election Results

National 538

Candidate Electoral Votes Pop. Votes Pop. Vote %
Bush 286 62,025,715 50.7%
Kerry 252 59,025,937 48.3%
Other 0 1,177,339 1.0%
Electoral votes next to state names George W. Bush
(Republican) 		John Kerry
(Democrat)

Alabama 9

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,176,394 62.5%
Kerry 693,933 36.9%
Others 12,190 0.6%

Alaska 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 190,889 62.5%
Kerry 111,025 35.6%
Others 9,894 3.2%

Arizona 10

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,104,294 54.9%
Kerry 893,524 44.4%
Others 14,767 0.7%

Arkansas 6

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 572,770 54.4%
Kerry 468,631 44.5%
Others 12,293 1.2%

California 55

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 5,509,826 44.4%
Kerry 6,745,485 54.3%
Others 164,546 1.3%

Colorado* 9

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,101,255 51.7%
Kerry 1,001,732 47.0%
Others 27,343 1.3%

Connecticut 7

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 693,766 43.9%
Kerry 857,434 54.3%
Others 27,462 1.7%

Delaware 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 171,660 45.8%
Kerry 200,152 53.4%
Others 3,278 0.9%

District of Columbia 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 21,256 9.3%
Kerry 202,970 89.2%
Others 3,360 1.5%

Florida 27

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 3,964,522 52.1%
Kerry 3,583,544 47.1%
Others 61,744 0.8%

Georgia 15

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,914,254 58.0%
Kerry 1,366,149 41.4%
Others 18,387 0.6%

Hawaii 4

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 194,184 45.3%
Kerry 231,691 54.0%
Others 3,114 0.7%

Idaho 4

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 409,235 68.5%
Kerry 181,098 30.3%
Others 6,928 1.2%

Illinois 21

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 2,346,608 44.5%
Kerry 2,891,989 54.8%
Others 36,130 0.7%

Indiana 11

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,479,438 59.9%
Kerry 969,011 39.3%
Others 19,553 0.8%

Iowa 7

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 751,957 49.9%
Kerry 741,898 49.3%
Others 11,959 0.8%

Kansas 6

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 736,456 62.0%
Kerry 434,993 36.6%
Others 16,260 1.4%

Kentucky 8

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,069,439 59.5%
Kerry 712,733 39.7%
Others 13,710 0.8%

Louisiana 9

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,102,169 56.7%
Kerry 820,299 42.2%
Others 20,638 1.1%

Maine** 4

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 330,201 44.6%
Kerry 396,842 53.6%
Others 13,705 1.9%

Maryland 10

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,024,703 43.0%
Kerry 1,334,493 56.0%
Others 25,018 1.0%

Massachusetts 12

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,071,109 36.9%
Kerry 1,803,800 62.1%
Others 30,451 1.0%

Michigan 17

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 2,313,746 47.8%
Kerry 2,479,178 51.2%
Others 46,323 1.0%

Minnesota 10

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,346,694 47.7%
Kerry 1,445,014 51.1%
Others 34,157 1.2%

Mississippi 6

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 672,660 59.0%
Kerry 457,766 40.2%
Others 9,398 0.8%

Missouri 11

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,455,713 53.3%
Kerry 1,259,171 46.1%
Others 16,480 0.6%

Montana 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 266,063 59.1%
Kerry 173,710 38.6%
Others 10,661 2.4%

Nebraska** 5

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 512,814 66.0%
Kerry 254,328 32.7%
Others 10,113 1.3%

Nevada 5

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 418,690 50.7%
Kerry 397,190 48.1%
Others 10,019 1.2%

New Hampshire 4

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 331,237 49.0%
Kerry 340,511 50.4%
Others 4,429 0.7%

New Jersey 15

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,668,003 46.2%
Kerry 1,911,430 53.0%
Others 30,258 0.8%

New Mexico 5

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 376,930 49.8%
Kerry 370,942 49.0%
Others 8,432 1.1%

New York 31

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 2,962,567 40.1%
Kerry 4,314,280 58.4%
Others 111,480 1.7%

North Carolina 15

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,961,166 56.1%
Kerry 1,525,849 43.6%
Others 11,731 0.3%

North Dakota 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 196,651 62.9%
Kerry 111,052 35.5%
Others 5,121 1.6%

Ohio 20

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 2,858,727 50.8%
Kerry 2,739,952 48.7%
Others 26,993 0.5%

Oklahoma 7

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 959,792 65.6%
Kerry 503,966 34.4%
Others 0 0.0%

Oregon 7

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 866,831 47.4%
Kerry 943,163 51.6%
Others 17,832 1.0%

Pennsylvania 21

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 2,793,847 48.5%
Kerry 2,938,095 51.0%
Others 33,822 0.6%

Rhode Island 4

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 169,046 38.7%
Kerry 259,760 59.4%
Others 8,328 1.9%

South Carolina 8

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 937,974 58.1%
Kerry 661,699 41.0%
Others 15,933 1.0%

South Dakota 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 232,584 59.9%
Kerry 149,244 38.4%
Others 6,387 1.6%

Tennessee 11

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,384,375 56.8%
Kerry 1,036,477 42.5%
Others 16,467 0.7%

Texas 34

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 4,526,917 61.1%
Kerry 2,832,704 38.2%
Others 51,128 0.7%

Utah 5

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 663,742 71.0%
Kerry 241,199 26.4%
Others 29,907 2.5%

Vermont 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 121,180 38.8%
Kerry 184,067 58.9%
Others 7,062 2.3%

Virginia 13

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,716,959 53.8%
Kerry 1,454,742 45.6%
Others 21,193 0.7%

Washington 11

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,304,894 45.6%
Kerry 1,510,201 52.8%
Others 43,989 1.5%

West Virginia 5

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 423,778 56.0%
Kerry 326,541 43.2%
Others 6,026 0.8%

Wisconsin 10

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 1,478,120 49.4%
Kerry 1,489,504 49.7%
Others 26,397 0.9%

Wyoming 3

Candidate Popular Votes Popular Vote %
Bush 167,629 69.0%
Kerry 70,776 29.1%
Others 4,543 1.9%

Footnotes

Third party candidates

Third Party Totals (other)
Others Votes Vote %
Ralph Nader (Reform, Independent) 394,578 0.34%
Michael Badnarik (Libertarian) 371,820 0.32%
Michael Peroutka (Constitution) 127,752 0.10%
David Cobb (Green) 102,797 0.07%
Leonard Peltier (PFP) (only on ballot in California) 21,616 0.03%
Walt Brown (SPUSA) 10,107 0.01%
Roger Calero / James Harris
(Socialist Workers) 		5,244 <0.01%
Bill Van Auken (Socialist Equality) 2,078 <0.01%
None of these (option in Nevada) 3,379 <0.01%

Colorado constitutional amendment

* – Colorado had a constitutional amendment, Amendment 36, on the ballot this year which could have changed the process by which its electoral votes were distributed. The vote failed, so Colorado awarded all 9 of its electoral votes to Bush, the winner of the vote in that state. Results of the vote follow:

Colorado Amendment 36
Position Votes Vote %
Yes (proportional split) 355,712 34.10%
No (remains winner-take-all) 686,431 65.90%

Maine and Nebraska splits

** – Maine and Nebraska are unlike the other 48 states and the District of Columbia in that they allocate their electoral votes in the following manner: 1 for the winner of each Congressional district, 2 for the state winner. However, neither state split the vote, so each of these states effectively went winner-take-all.

Pre-election odds

  • On Tradesports, the Bush futures contract dropped from about 53, where it had been for several days before election, to about 30, in about an hour, but then rallied to 65-66 by 15:30 UTC. On Betfair the odds on a Bush victory increased from 1.75 at the beginning of the day, to 5.0 at 13:00 UTC, and moved down to 1.33 at 15:20 UTC.

  • Oddschecker gave real time odds and accurate reflection of probabilities from various UK bookmakers.

  • The Iowa Futures Market briefly showed Bush losing ground, with Kerry picking up.

  • The price of light crude oil dropped the day before election by nearly $1.63 (3.2%), amid speculation that a win for Kerry would result in the abolition of President Bush's maximum-capacity Strategic Petroleum Reserve policy. Oil prices continued to fall after the election.

Related timelines

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Thursday September 11, 2008 at 08:29:02 PDT (GMT -0700)
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