2005 United States Electoral College vote count

Final step of 2004 presidential election August 2025 August 2025 2005 United States Electoral College vote count 19 + DC John F. Kerry (wide crop).jpg John Kerry Democratic Party (United States) Massachusetts John Edwards 251"Discrepancy Between Pledged Elector Tally and Electoral Vote for Gore/Lieberman" 252 electors pledged to the Kerry/Edwards ticket were elected; however, a faithless elector from Minnesota cast a ballot for Edwards for both president and vice president, bringing the ticket's total number of electoral votes to 251. 31 350px Objections made to the electoral college votes of the 2004 U.S. presidential election.#A9FAAD No objections #FFACAB Objections defeated President George W. Bush Republican Party (United States) George W. Bush 286 United States 1960 presidential no 2001 United States Electoral College vote count 2001 January 6, 2005 2009 United States Electoral College vote count 2009 Dick Cheney 538 members of the Electoral College 270 electoral 150x150px George-W-Bush (crop).jpg George W. Bush Republican Party (United States) Texas John Edwards, official Senate photo portrait (cropped 3x4).jpg John Edwards Democratic Party (United States) North Carolina John Edwards 1 0 Republican Party (United States) 2005 US Electoral College Objections Map.svg The count of the Electoral College ballots during a joint session of the 109th United States Congress, pursuant to the Electoral Count Act, on January 6, 2005, was held as the final step to confirm then-incumbent President George W. Bush's victory in the 2004 presidential election over Senator John Kerry (D–MA). One Democratic representative, Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D–OH-11), filed a congressional objection to the certification of Bush's Ohio electoral votes throughout the session, with one Democratic senator, Barbara Boxer (D–CA), signed onto the objections. Background Electoral College United States Electoral College Certificate of ascertainment Certificate of vote The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Article Two of the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president. Each state appoints electors according to its legislature, equal in number to its congressional delegation (senators and representatives). Federal office holders cannot be electors. Of the current 538 electors, an absolute majority of 270 or more electoral votes is required to elect the president and vice president.Thomas H. Neale The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline October 22, 2020 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11641 November 9, 2020 November 9, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201109050550/https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11641 live As stated in the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, if no candidate for either office achieves an absolute majority there, a contingent election is held by the United States House of Representatives to elect the president, and by the United States Senate to elect the vice president; under this amendment, only the election of 1824 failed to produce a majority for president, and the election of 1836 for vice president.June 2025 Each state and the District of Columbia produces two documents to be forwarded to Congress, a certificate of ascertainment and a certificate of vote. A certificate of ascertainment is an official document that identifies the state's appointed College electors and the tally of the final popular vote count for each candidate in that stateRobinson Courtney It's official: Florida certifies its 2020 election results https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/elections/its-official-florida-certifies-2020-election-results/67-7ea56e93-1d68-400a-b988-5ebe5f456028 WTSP 20 November 2020 17 November 2020 January 14, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210114214332/https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/elections/its-official-florida-certifies-2020-election-results/67-7ea56e93-1d68-400a-b988-5ebe5f456028 live in a presidential election;Conniff Ruth Wisconsin's divisive presidential recount begins https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2020/11/19/wisconsins-divisive-presidential-recount-begins/ Wisconsin Examiner 20 November 2020 19 November 2020 November 28, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201128031241/https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2020/11/19/wisconsins-divisive-presidential-recount-begins/ live Astor Maggie Here's What Will Happen Between Election Day and Inauguration Day https://www.nytimes.com/article/biden-election-inauguration.html The New York Times 19 November 2020 12 November 2020 January 4, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210104150333/https://www.nytimes.com/article/biden-election-inauguration.html live the certificate of ascertainment is submitted after an election by the governor of each state to the archivist of the United StatesBedillion Caleb Final vote tally shows Lee County turnout increase https://www.djournal.com/news/local/final-vote-tally-shows-lee-county-turnout-increase/article_75ba20de-817d-560e-b1cd-e57da647da1c.html Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal 20 November 2020 16 November 2020 November 17, 2020 subscription https://web.archive.org/web/20201117164439/https://www.djournal.com/news/local/final-vote-tally-shows-lee-county-turnout-increase/article_75ba20de-817d-560e-b1cd-e57da647da1c.html live Could Trump Defy Popular Vote By Halting Voter Certification? Lee Jessica https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/could-trump-defy-popular-vote/ Snopes 20 November 2020 19 November 2020 January 14, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210114214417/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/could-trump-defy-popular-vote/ live and others,Albiges Marie Meet Pennsylvania's Electoral College voters: Everything they can — and can't — do https://whyy.org/articles/meet-pennsylvanias-electoral-college-voters-everything-they-can-and-cant-do/ WHYY 19 November 2020 13 November 2020 December 15, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201215125316/https://whyy.org/articles/meet-pennsylvanias-electoral-college-voters-everything-they-can-and-cant-do/ live in accordance with 3U.S.C.§§6–14Karson Kendall What to know about Tuesday's 'safe harbor' deadline to certify election results https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tuesdays-safe-harbor-deadline/story?id=74603806 ABC News 9 December 2020 8 December 2020 January 7, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210107062050/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tuesdays-safe-harbor-deadline/story?id=74603806 live Viebeck Elise Santamariña Daniela Vote certification deadlines in states facing legal challenges from Trump, GOP https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/11/12/vote-certification-deadlines-ga-mi-wi-nv-az-pa/ The Washington Post 19 November 2020 12 November 2020 December 9, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201209163504/https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/11/12/vote-certification-deadlines-ga-mi-wi-nv-az-pa/ live and the Electoral Count Act.Montellaro Zach What you need to know about how the Electoral College works https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2020/11/18/what-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-electoral-college-works-1337102 Politico 20 November 2020 19 November 2020 November 19, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201119104752/https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2020/11/18/what-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-electoral-college-works-1337102 live Within the United States' electoral system, the certificates "[represent] a crucial link between the popular vote and votes cast by electors".Friedmann Sarah The Certificate Of Ascertainment Records Each Vote https://www.bustle.com/articles/191177-what-is-a-certificate-of-ascertainment-it-provides-a-link-between-the-popular-vote-the Bustle 19 November 2020 3 November 2016 November 10, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201110061655/https://www.bustle.com/articles/191177-what-is-a-certificate-of-ascertainment-it-provides-a-link-between-the-popular-vote-the live The certificates must bear the state seal and the governor's signature. Staff from the Office of the Federal Register ensure that each certificate contains all legally required information.The 2020 Presidential Election: Provisions of the Constitution and U.S. Code https://www.archives.gov/files/electoral-college/state-officials/presidential-election-brochure.pdf Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration 19 November 2020 July 2020 January 9, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210109033148/https://www.archives.gov/files/electoral-college/state-officials/presidential-election-brochure.pdf live When each state's appointed electors meet to vote (on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December), they sign and record their vote on a certificate of vote,Neale Thomas H. The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11641 Congressional Research Service 19 November 2020 22 October 2020 November 9, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201109050550/https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11641 live which are then paired with the certificate of ascertainment, which together are sent to be opened and counted by Congress.Dixon R.G. Electoral College Procedure The Western Political Quarterly June 1950 3 2 214–224 10.2307/443484 University of Utah 443484 The 12th Amendment mandates Congress assemble in joint session to count the electoral votes and declare the winners of the election.The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted. https://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html Constitution of the United States: Amendments 11–27 National Archives and Records Administration January 5, 2021 May 16, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080516054417/http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html live Bessette Joseph Schmitt Gary Gary Schmitt 2023-04-19 Counting Electoral Votes: How the Constitution Empowers Congress—and Not the Vice President—to Resolve Electoral Disputes https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/counting-electoral-votes-how-the-constitution-empowers-congressand-not-the-vice-presidentto-resolve-electoral-disputes/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240927113615/https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/counting-electoral-votes-how-the-constitution-empowers-congressand-not-the-vice-presidentto-resolve-electoral-disputes/ 2024-09-27 2024-12-20 American Enterprise Institute en-US The Electoral Count Act, a federal law enacted in 1887, further established specific procedures for the counting of the electoral votes by the joint Congress.Rybicki Elizabeth Whitaker L. Paige Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session, Including Objections by Members of Congress https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32717.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20210108222125/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32717.pdf January 8, 2021 22 December 2020 Congressional Research Service Congressional Research Service The session is ordinarily required to take place on January6 in the calendar year immediately following the meetings of the presidential electors.3 15, Counting electoral votes in Congress Since the 20th Amendment, the newly elected joint Congress declares the winner of the election; all elections before 1936 were determined by the outgoing Congress.June 2025 A state's certificate of vote can be rejected only if both Houses of Congress, debating separately, vote to accept an objection by a majority in each House.Jalonick Mary Clare 2020-12-15 EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes https://apnews.com/article/congress-count-electoral-college-vote-5605532631a251ac8f902d1d1ca55428 live https://web.archive.org/web/20210106195211/https://apnews.com/article/congress-count-electoral-college-vote-5605532631a251ac8f902d1d1ca55428 January 6, 2021 2020-12-19 AP NEWS If the objection is approved by both Houses, the state's votes are not included in the count. Individual votes can also be objected to, and are also not counted. If there are no objections or all objections are overruled, the presiding officer simply includes a state's votes, as declared in the certificate of vote, in the official tally. After the certificates from all states are read and the respective votes are counted, the presiding officer simply announces the final state of the vote. This announcement concludes the joint session and formalizes the recognition of the president-elect and of the vice president-elect. The senators then depart from the House chamber. The final tally is printed in the Senate and House journals.June 2025 Faithless elector One elector in Minnesota cast a ballot for president with the name of "John Ewards" written on it.Freddoso David December 21, 2004 Does L Stand for Loser? http://www.nationalreview.com/article/213203/does-l-stand-loser-david-freddoso live https://web.archive.org/web/20150411225347/http://www.nationalreview.com/article/213203/does-l-stand-loser-david-freddoso April 11, 2015 April 11, 2015 National Review The Electoral College officials certified this ballot as a vote for Edwards for president. The remaining nine electors cast ballots for Kerry. All ten electors in the state cast ballots for Edwards for vice president (Edwards's name was spelled correctly on all ballots for vice president).Radio Minnesota Public MPR: Minnesota elector gives Edwards a vote; Kerry gets other nine http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/12/13_ap_electors/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20100101213450/http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/12/13_ap_electors/ January 1, 2010 January 25, 2005 This was the first time in U.S. history that an elector had cast a vote for the same person to be both president and vice president. Electoral balloting in Minnesota was performed by secret ballot, and none of the electors admitted to casting the Edwards vote for president, so it may never be known who the faithless elector was. It is not even known whether the vote for Edwards was deliberate or unintentional; the Republican Secretary of State and several of the Democratic electors have expressed the opinion that this was an accident.Minnesota Elector Gives Edwards a Vote; Kerry Gets Other Nine http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/12/13_ap_electors/ https://web.archive.org/web/20100101213450/http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/12/13_ap_electors/ January 1, 2010 Minnesota Public Radio Joint Session of Congress Objection to certification of Ohio's electoral votes 2004 United States presidential election in Ohio 2004 United States election voting controversies On January 6, 2005, Senator Barbara Boxer joined Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio in filing a congressional objection to the certification of Ohio's Electoral College votes due to alleged irregularities including disqualification of provisional ballots, alleged misallocation of voting machines, and disproportionately long waits in predominantly African-American communities.Ted Barrett January 6, 2005 CNN Bush carries Electoral College after delay http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/electoral.vote/ May 23, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090423074557/http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/electoral.vote/ April 23, 2009 liveBarbara Boxer Barbara Boxer January 6, 2005 Press Release of Senator Boxer: Statement On Her Objection To The Certification Of Ohio's Electoral Votes http://boxer.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=230450 May 23, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20080607140724/http://boxer.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=230450 June 7, 2008 Ohio's polling locations and equipment are determined by two Democrats and two Republicans serving on the county's Board of Elections, which ensures that any decision made about polling resources is bipartisan.Secure Elections https://www.boe.ohio.gov/preble/c/images/SecureElections_infographic_FINAL_BOEs.pdf County Board of Election graphic The Senate voted the objection down 74–1; the House voted the objection down 267–31. At the time, it was only the second congressional objection to an entire U.S. state's electoral delegation in American history; the first instance was in 1877, when all the electors from three Southern states in the 1876 United States presidential election were challenged, and one from Oregon.HarpWeek Hayes vs. Tilden: The Electoral College Controversy of 1876–1877 Electoral Commission Deliberation http://elections.harpweek.com/09Ver2Controversy/Overview-4.htm May 23, 2009 The third instance was in 2021, when Republicans objected to the certification of the electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania. An objection to a single faithless elector was also filed in 1969. + State Electoral votes Winner Faithless electors Objection Raised by Vote Outcome House Senate House SenateAlabama 9Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsAlaska 3Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsArizona 10Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsArkansas 6Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsCalifornia 55Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsColorado 9Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsConnecticut 7Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsDelaware 3Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsDistrict of Columbia 3Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsFlorida 27Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsGeorgia 15Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsHawaii 4Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsIdaho 4Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsIllinois 21Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsIndiana 11Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsIowa 7Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsKansas 6Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsKentucky 8Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsLouisiana 9Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsMaine 4Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsMaryland 10Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsMassachusetts 12Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsMichigan 17Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsMinnesota 9lower-alpha faithless One faithless elector from Minnesota cast a ballot for John Edwards (written as "John Ewards") for both president and vice president.Kerry/Edwards1 for John Edwards None —No ObjectionsMississippi 6Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsMissouri 11Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsMontana 3Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsNebraska 5Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsNevada 5Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsNew Hampshire 4Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsNew Jersey 15Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsNew Mexico 5Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsNew York 31Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsNorth Carolina 15Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsNorth Dakota 3Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsOhio 20Bush/CheneyNoneStephanie Tubbs Jones (D–OH-11)Barbara Boxer (D–CA)31–2671–74Objection defeatedOklahoma 7Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsOregon 7Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsPennsylvania 21Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsRhode Island 4Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsSouth Carolina 8Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsSouth Dakota 3Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsTennessee 11Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsTexas 34Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsUtah 5Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsVermont 3Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsVirginiaWith Virginia's 13 electoral votes, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney surpassed the 270 electoral vote threshold, securing victory in the electoral vote count. 13Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsWashington 11Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsWest Virginia 5Bush/CheneyNone None —No ObjectionsWisconsin 10Kerry/EdwardsNone None —No ObjectionsWyoming 3Bush/CheneyNone None —No Objections Ohio + Senate vote on the objection (3:18 pm EST on January 6, 2005)On the Objection (Shall Objection Submitted Be Sustained Re: Electoral Ballot Count) https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00001 United States Senate December 27, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212192739/https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00001 December 12, 2020 live Party Votes for Votes against Not voting Republican Party (United States) (55) – 38 17 Democratic Party (United States) (44) 1 Barbara Boxer (D-CA) 35 8 Daniel Akaka (D-HI) Evan Bayh (D-IN) Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Jon Corzine (D-NJ) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) John Kerry (D-MA) Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Patty Murray (D-WA) Independent politician (1) – 1 Jim Jeffords (I-VT) – Total (100) 1 74 25 + House vote on the objection (5:02 pm EST on January 6, 2005)Roll Call 7 https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml Clerk of the United States House of Representatives December 27, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201217051145/https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml December 17, 2020 live Party Votes for Votes against Not voting Republican Party (United States) (230) – 178 52 Democratic Party (United States) (199) 31 Corrine Brown (D-FL-3) Julia Carson (D-IN-7) Lacy Clay (D-MO-1) Jim Clyburn (D-SC-6) John Conyers (D-MI-14) Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7) Lane Evans (D-IL-17) Sam Farr (D-CA-17) Bob Filner (D-CA-51) Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-7) Alcee Hastings (D-FL-23) Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22) Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18) Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL-2) Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH-11) Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI-13) Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10) Barbara Lee (D-CA-9) John Lewis (D-GA-5) Ed Markey (D-MA-7) Cynthia McKinney (D-GA-4) John Olver (D-MA-1) Major Owens (D-NY-11) Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6) Donald M. Payne (D-NJ-10) Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) Bennie Thompson (D-MS-2) Maxine Waters (D-CA-35) Diane Watson (D-CA-33) Lynn Woolsey (D-CA-6) 88 80 Independent politician (1) – 1 Bernie Sanders (I-VT) – Total (430) 31 267 132 Nine representatives who contested Bush's 2004 victory in Ohio had previously contested his 2000 victory in Florida. They are Barbara Lee (D-CA-9), Maxine Waters (D-CA-35), Bob Filner (D-CA-51), Cynthia McKinney (D-GA-4), Corrine Brown (D-FL-3), Alcee Hastings (D-FL-23), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL-2), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18), and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30). See also 2004 United States presidential election Second inauguration of George W. Bush 2004 United States election voting controversies Notes lower-alpha References Category:2004 United States presidential election Category:United States Electoral College Category:United States election controversies Category:Vote counting Category:Presidency of George W. Bush Category:109th United States Congress