From The Columbus Dispatch - Election:
"Locked in a state-by-state drama early this morning, President Bush inched toward a second term as he and Sen. John F. Kerry awaited the outcome of a historic election that set a new standard for America's participatory democracy.
"The Ohio result -- and the election nationally -- could come down to provisional, military and overseas ballots, which aren't counted for at least 10 days amid eligibility and other issues.
"As Ohio and a handful of other crucial states continued to tally votes past 2:30 a.m., the outcome remained uncertain in an epic battle transformed by a massive voting surge in a politically engaged and deeply divided nation at war.
"With 88 percent of the nation's precincts reporting, Bush held a comfortable 3.5 million popular-vote lead -- an ironic turnabout from 2000 when he lost the popular vote -- but neither candidate had collected the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
"Ohio's crucial 20 electoral votes hung in the balance, although at least two television networks projected Bush would win the state. Bush held a 126,000 vote lead in Ohio with 96 percent of the state's precincts counted, forging a narrow 3 percentage-point lead, 51-49."
