Ohio Releases Official Vote; Newly Counted Provisional Ballots Strongly Helped Obama, and to a Lesser Extent, Also Helped Johnson

On December 10, Ohio’s Secretary of State released the official election returns. The difference in vote totals from the official vote count, and the votes counted on election night, are for the most part the provisional ballots, which take a long time to count. Comparing the election night totals with the final totals suggest that provisional ballots strongly helped President Obama, and also slightly boosted Gary Johnson.

The election night total percentages for each presidential candidate on the ballot were: Obama 50.28%, Romney 48.35%, Johnson .88%, Stein .33%, Virgil Goode .15%, Socialist Party nominee Stewart Alexander .05%, and independent Richard Duncan .23%.

The final, official vote totals yield these percentages: Obama 50.67%, Romney 47.69%, Johnson .89%, Stein .33%, Goode .15%, Alexander .05%, Duncan .22%.

Declared write-in candidate vote totals, not available until December 10, are: Mike Vargo 63, Jill Reed 23, Randall Terry 14, Susan Daniels 5, Nelson Keyton 2.