2004 United States presidential election

2004 United States presidential election
Company type	Election
Industry	Politics
Founded	November 2, 2004; 22 years ago
Area served	United States

United States presidential election conducted on November 2, 2004, resulted in the incumbent Republican President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney being re-elected. They narrowly overcame the Democratic candidates, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.

While Bush and Cheney secured their party’s nomination with ease, the Democratic primary was highly contested. Senator Kerry became the leading candidate following early state contests and officially won the nomination in March, selecting Edwards as his vice-presidential partner.

The post-9/11 context heavily influenced Bush’s foreign policy and initially increased his popularity; nevertheless, by 2004, his approach to the war on terror, particularly the 2003 invasion of Iraq, became a subject of intense scrutiny. Bush portrayed himself as a strong and resolute leader while accusing Kerry of being a "flip-flopper." Kerry challenged Bush’s management of the Iraq conflict despite having previously voted to authorize military action. Key domestic topics during the campaign included economic policy, health care reform, abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and stem cell research.

Bush achieved victory by a slim margin of 35 electoral votes and secured 50.7% of the popular vote. He dominated southern and Mountain West states and won critical battlegrounds such as Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico—the latter two switching from Democratic to Republican—while Kerry flipped New Hampshire. The outcome in Ohio was pivotal for Bush’s overall success. Although voting controversies emerged, they were less significant than those in 2000. Bush improved his winning margin in Florida to 5%, thereby avoiding the legal disputes seen previously. This election marks the last occasion when Republicans carried Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia.

At that time, Bush set a new record for the highest number of popular votes received—a milestone surpassed in 2008—and was the only Republican candidate to win the popular vote from 1992 through 2020. As of 2025, he remains the sole Republican since 1984 to secure consecutive terms along with a majority in the popular vote.

Background

George W. Bush secured the presidency in the 2000 election following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bush v. Gore, which halted Florida’s recount process. Within eight months of taking office, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, shifted Bush into a wartime leadership role, boosting his approval ratings close to 90%. A coalition led by the United States launched military operations in Afghanistan to remove the Taliban, who had provided sanctuary to Osama bin Laden, identified as the architect of those attacks. By December, Taliban forces were ousted, beginning an extended phase of reconstruction.

The Bush administration then turned its focus toward Iraq, citing an urgent need to depose Saddam Hussein due to alleged attempts to obtain nuclear material and failure to disclose prior biological and chemical arsenals in violation of UN mandates. Despite these assertions, influential nations such as China, France, Germany, and Russia opposed granting authorization for military action through the UN Security Council. Iraq permitted UN weapons inspectors access in November 2002; nonetheless, the Bush administration opted to proceed with invasion without UN endorsement and ordered inspectors’ withdrawal.

On March 20, 2003, U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq alongside a "coalition of the willing" that included countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland. Iraqi governmental structures and military forces collapsed within three weeks; however, no weapon of mass destruction were discovered. On May 1, President Bush announced an end to "major combat operations" during a speech delivered aboard an aircraft carrier.

Republican nomination

George W. Bush	Dick Cheney
Republican Party ticket for 2004
President	Vice President

43rd President of the United States (2001–2009)	46th Vice President of the United States (2001–2009)
Campaign

George W. Bush encountered no significant challengers for the Republican nomination. Senator Lincoln Chafee had contemplated running on an anti-war platform but withdrew his potential candidacy following the capture of Saddam Hussein in December 2003. On March 10, 2004, Bush officially secured the required delegates to claim the nomination at the 2004 Republican National Convention held in New York City. He formally accepted the nomination on September 2, opting to continue with Vice President Dick Cheney as his running mate. The campaign focused on safeguarding the nation from terrorism and advancing an ownership society, which included options for Social Security investments, boosting home and stock ownership rates, and promoting private health insurance coverage.

Democratic Party nomination

John Kerry	John Edwards
Democratic Party ticket for 2004
President	Vice President

U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1985–2013)	U.S. Senator from North Carolina (1999–2005)
Campaign

Withdrawn candidates

John Edwards	Howard Dean	Dennis Kucinich	Wesley Clark	Al Sharpton	Joe Lieberman	Carol Moseley Braun	Dick Gephardt
Candidates listed below are ordered by total popular votes received during the primaries

U.S. Senator from North Carolina (1999–2005)	Governor of Vermont (1991–2003)	U.S. Representative from Ohio (1997–2013)	Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1997–2000)	Minister and Activist	U.S. Senator from Connecticut (1989–2013)	U.S. Senator from Illinois (1993–1999)	House Minority Leader (1995–2003)


'W: March 2' 3,162,337 votes	'W: Feb 18' 903,460 votes	'W: July 22' 620,242 votes	'W: Feb 11' 547,369 votes	'W: March 15' 380,865 votes	'W: Feb 3' 280,940 votes	'W: Jan 15' 98,469 votes	'W: Jan 20' 63,902 votes

Democratic primaries

The 2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries took place from January 14 through June 8, 2004, to determine the Democratic Party's candidate for president. Initially, Vermont's governor Howard Dean was the frontrunner; however, Massachusetts senator John Kerry gained significant traction after winning both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. By March 11, Kerry had amassed enough delegates to secure the nomination. Other prominent contenders included North Carolina senator John Edwards and retired general Wesley Clark. Kerry extended an offer for the vice-presidential nomination to Republican senator John McCain, who declined. Subsequently, on July 6, Kerry chose Edwards as his running mate prior to the 2004 Democratic National Convention held in Boston.

Democratic National Convention

During the convention, the Kerry–Edwards campaign unveiled a slogan emphasizing a "stronger America at home and more respected in the world." Kerry highlighted his service during the Vietnam War as a key part of his message. The keynote speech was delivered by Illinois state senator and Senate candidate Barack Obama, whose address received widespread acclaim and significantly boosted his standing within the Democratic Party.

Other nominations

Four additional presidential tickets qualified to appear on ballots in enough states to theoretically secure a majority in the U.S. Electoral College. These were:

Michael Badnarik / Richard Campagna, representing the Libertarian Party. Badnarik was chosen on the third ballot, while Campagna was selected on the first ballot at the 2004 Libertarian National Convention held in Atlanta from May 28 to 31, 2004.
David Cobb / Pat LaMarche, candidates for the Green Party. Cobb was nominated on the second ballot at the 2004 Green National Convention in Milwaukee, June 23–28, 2004.
Ralph Nader / Peter Camejo, running as independents with endorsements from multiple parties including Reform Party USA, Independent Party of Delaware, Populist Party (MD), Better Life Party, Peace and Justice Party, Independence Parties of New York and South Carolina, as well as the Vermont Green Party.
Michael Peroutka / Chuck Baldwin, representing the Constitution Party, also backed by the Alaskan Independence Party. They were unanimously nominated at the 2004 Constitution Party National Convention held in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania from June 23 to 26, 2004.

Electronic voting machines

Prior to the 2004 election, several states implemented voting systems based on electronic technology. Concerns were raised regarding security flaws in machines produced by Diebold Election Systems, with cybersecurity specialists pointing out serious vulnerabilities. Additionally, voting devices from various manufacturers were criticized for not providing a reliable paper trail, which made verifying election outcomes more difficult. Executives at Diebold, Inc. also faced accusations of conflicts of interest due to their public support for Bush’s campaign. As a result of these issues, California prohibited use of Diebold’s AccuVote TSX machines during the 2004 elections.

Changes in Campaign Legislation

The 2004 election marked the initial implementation of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act enacted in 2002, which introduced stricter fundraising regulations targeting political parties and candidates. To navigate around these constraints, a variety of independent 527 groups surfaced, raising significant sums without direct collaboration with official campaigns. Prominent 527 organizations such as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, MoveOn.org, the Media Fund, and America Coming Together collectively expended an unprecedented $556 million throughout the election period.

One notable feature of the act, the Stand by Your Ad provision, required political television advertisements to include spoken disclaimers identifying the sponsoring entity or campaign, with the goal of enhancing transparency and responsibility for negative ads. Nevertheless, campaign advisers argued that this mandate might confuse voters and consume valuable airtime.

Central Campaign Themes

President Bush anchored his campaign on issues of national security, portraying himself as a firm leader while branding Kerry as a "flip-flopper." This strategy sought to reassure the electorate of Bush’s resolute stance on terrorism, contrasting with Kerry’s perceived indecisiveness. Conversely, Kerry’s campaign concentrated on domestic priorities such as economic growth and health care reform, areas where they believed they held an advantage. Additionally, Bush focused efforts on mobilizing conservative voters. According to exit polls, Bush supporters prioritized terrorism and traditional values, whereas Kerry’s base was more concerned with the Iraq conflict, economic conditions, employment, and health care.

Economic Policy

Under President Bush’s administration, tax reductions were implemented in 2001 and 2003, policies he strongly endorsed; Kerry opposed these tax cuts. Throughout the 2004 campaign, Bush attributed economic expansion to these tax measures, while Kerry accused him of inadequate job creation. Kerry proposed curbing government spending and eliminating certain tax incentives for businesses to reduce the budget deficit, along with advocating tax credits for companies increasing their workforce. In response, Bush warned that Kerry’s plans would lead to higher taxes and pointed out Kerry’s prior support for tax increases, including a suggested federal gas tax raise.

Foreign Affairs

Bush defended the Iraq War as a critical component in counterterrorism efforts and highlighted advancements in global anti-terror operations. He criticized Kerry for reversing his stance by opposing the war after initially endorsing it in 2002, labeling this inconsistency a political flip-flop. Kerry charged Bush with deceiving the public regarding Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and described the war as a strategic misstep that distracted from combating terrorism in nations such as Afghanistan. Post-election evaluations identified foreign policy as voters’ primary concern.

Health Care

The introduction of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) occurred in 2004 through the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, which President Bush signed in December 2003. During his reelection bid, Bush advocated for expanding HSAs and proposed tax relief measures to assist Americans in purchasing health insurance, alongside enabling small businesses to collectively acquire insurance plans. In contrast, Kerry supported government subsidies aimed at businesses offering health coverage and sought to broaden publicly administered health programs. Analysts specializing in health policy observed that Bush’s proposals would likely have a narrower scope of impact compared to those offered by Kerry.

Kerry also criticized Bush’s limitations on embryonic stem cell research funding—restrictions that confined federal support to preexisting stem cell lines since 2001—arguing that these constraints impeded vital medical advancements.

Same-sex marriage

In July 2004, just prior to the Senate's vote, Bush expressed support for a Constitutional amendment aimed at prohibiting same-sex marriage. While Kerry also opposed same-sex marriage, he rejected the amendment itself, advocating instead that individual states should determine its legality. The Senate ultimately did not pass the amendment on July 14.

Bush military service controversy

During the campaign, allegations surfaced claiming Bush failed to meet his service duties in the Texas Air National Guard. The issue escalated after CBS broadcast a 60 Minutes Wednesday segment featuring the disputed Killian documents, purportedly from Bush’s squadron commander, which raised questions about his military record. Due to skepticism regarding the documents' legitimacy, CBS convened a review panel that led to the firing of the news producer and other personnel changes. The Killian documents were eventually exposed as forgeries.

Kerry military service controversy

Kerry was challenged by the group Swift Vets and POWs for Truth over accusations that he had falsified details about his Vietnam War service. This organization questioned the validity of his combat medals and discharge status, investing $22.4 million in advertising campaigns against him. Analysts later recognized this effort as a successful negative campaign. The term swiftboating emerged from this context to describe unfair, personal political attacks.

Presidential debates

Four debates took place in the fall of 2004 under the auspices of the Commission on Presidential Debates:

**2004 U.S. presidential election debates**
No.	Date	Host	City	Moderator	Participants	Viewership (Millions)
P1	September 30, 2004	University of Miami	Coral Gables, Florida	Jim Lehrer	President George W. Bush Senator John Kerry	62.4
VP	October 5, 2004	Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, Ohio	Gwen Ifill	Vice President Dick Cheney Senator John Edwards	43.5
P2	October 8, 2004	Washington University in St. Louis	St. Louis, Missouri	Charles Gibson	President George W. Bush Senator John Kerry	46.7
P3	October 13, 2004	Arizona State University	Tempe, Arizona	Bob Schieffer	President George W. Bush Senator John Kerry	51.1

The initial debate concentrated on foreign affairs and was widely viewed by major polls as a clear victory for Kerry, providing momentum to his campaign. Polls following the vice presidential debate showed divided opinions between Cheney and Edwards. The second presidential debate adopted a town hall style with questions from attendees. The final debate attracted an audience of 51 million viewers; during this event, Kerry mentioned Cheney’s lesbian daughter amid discussions on gay rights, which provoked Cheney’s displeasure over what he saw as politicizing his family member’s sexual orientation. Gallup polling indicated that Kerry gained some ground in October but suggested a closely contested race leading up to election day.

Osama bin Laden videotape

On October 29, just four days before voters headed to the polls, segments of a video featuring Osama bin Laden speaking directly to Americans were broadcast on Al Jazeera. In the footage, bin Laden referenced the September 11 attacks and criticized President Bush’s handling of the aftermath. Following this release, Bush’s lead over Kerry widened by several percentage points.

Projections for the Electoral College

Political analysts offer probabilistic evaluations of Electoral College results, categorizing states based on candidates' likelihood of winning: "tossup" (no clear lead), "tilt" (minor advantage), "lean" (moderate lead), "likely" (strong position), and "safe" or "solid" (almost guaranteed win).

The following table displays states deemed competitive by forecasters from The Cook Political Report, The New York Times, and CNN, excluding those designated as "safe" or "solid."

State	EVs	New York Times November 2, 2004	538 November 2, 2004	CNN November 2, 2004
Arkansas	6	Likely R	Likely R	Lean R
Arizona	10	Likely R	Likely R	Lean R
Colorado	9	Lean R	Lean R	Likely R
Delaware	3	Likely D	Likely D	Lean D
Florida	27	Tossup	Tossup	Likely R
Iowa	7	Tossup	Lean R (flip)	Likely R (flip)
Maryland	11	Safe D	Likely D	Likely D
Maine	15	Lean D	Lean D	Likely D
Michigan	17	Lean D	Lean D	Likely D
Minnesota	10	Tossup	Tossup	Likely D
New Hampshire	3	Tossup	Tossup (flip)	Likely D (flip)
Missouri	11	Lean R	Lean R	Likely R
Nevada	5	Tossup	Lean R	Likely R

Election Results

Source for Electoral and Popular Vote Data: Federal Elections Commission Summary of Electoral and Popular Votes Voting Age Population: 215,664,000 Percentage of Voting Age Population Participating in Presidential Vote: 56.70%

^(a) One elector from Minnesota cast a faithless vote for John Edwards as president.
^(b) Variations existed in running mate selections for Nader across different states.
^(c) Arrin Hawkins was constitutionally disqualified as a vice-presidential candidate; consequently, Margaret Trowe and James Harris substituted for her and Calero on certain ballots.

Results by state

Out of 3,154 counties, districts, and independent cities that reported results, Bush secured the popular vote in 2,568 (81.42%), while Kerry prevailed in 586 (18.58%). The following table presents the official state-by-state vote counts as documented by the Federal Election Commission. The "Margin" column indicates Bush's lead over Kerry, with negative values representing states or districts carried by Kerry.

Legend
States or districts won by Kerry/Edwards
States or districts won by Bush/Cheney
†	At-large results (applicable to states that divide electoral votes)

		George W. Bush Republican			John Kerry Democratic			Ralph Nader Independent / Reform			Michael Badnarik Libertarian			Michael Peroutka Constitution			David Cobb Green			Others			Margin		Margin Swing	State Total
State	EV	#	%	EV	#	%	EV	#	%	EV	#	%	EV	#	%	EV	#	%	EV	#	%	%	#
Alabama	9	1,176,394	62.46%	9	693,933	36.84%	–	6,701	0.36%	–	3,529	0.19%	–	1,994	0.11%	–	898	0.05%	–	482,461	25.62%	10.70%	1,883,449	AL
Alaska	3	190,889	61.07%	3	111,025	35.52%	–	5,069	1.62%	–	1,675	0.54%	–	2,092	0.67%	–	790	0.25%	–	79,864	25.55%	−5.40%	312,598	AK
Arizona	10	1,104,294	54.87%	10	893,524	44.40%	–	2,773	0.14%	–	11,856	0.59%				210,770	10.47%	4.18%	2,012,585	AZ
Arkansas	6	572,898	54.31%	6	469,953	44.55%		6,171						102,945	9.76%	4.32%	1,054,945	AR
California	55	5,509,826	44.36%	55	6,745,485	54.30%		21,213		50,165		26,645		40,771		27,747		−1,235,659	−9.94%	1.85%	12,421,852	CA
Colorado	9	1,101,255	51.69%	9	1,001,732	47.02%		12,718		7,664		2,562		1,591		2,808		99,523	4.67%	−3.69%	2,130,330	CO
Connecticut	7	693,826	43.95%	7	857,488	54.31%		12,969		3,367		1,543		9,564		12		−163,662	−10.36%	7.10%	1,578,769	CT
Delaware	3	171,660	45.75%	3	200,152	53.35%		2,153		586		289		250		100		−28,492	−7.60%	5.47%	375,190	DE
District of Columbia	3	21,256	9.34%	3	202,970	89.18%		1,485		502		0		737		636		−181714	-79.84 %	-3 .64 %	227586	DC
Florida	27	3964522	52 . 10 %	27	3583544	47 . 09 %	–	32971	0 . 43 %	–	11996	0 . 16 %	–	6626	0 . 09 %	–	3917	0 . 05 %	–	6234	0 . 08 %	–	380978	5 . 01 %	5 . 00 %	7609810	FL
Georgia	15	1914254	57 .97 %	15	1366149	-Template:Party shading/Democratic

Although Guam does not possess Electoral College representation,it holds a nonbinding preference poll; in the year 2004,Bush received a leading share of64 .1%. Maine and Nebraska permit the division of their electoral votes: two are awarded to the statewide victor and one to the winner of each congressional district.^[1]

States that shifted from Democratic to Republican

States that shifted from Republican to Democratic

New Hampshire

Competitive states

States won by Republican President George W. Bush are indicated in red, while those carried by Democrat John Kerry are shown in blue.

States where the margin of victory was less than 1% (totaling 22 electoral votes):

Wisconsin 0.38% (11,384 votes)
Iowa 0.67% (10,059 votes)
New Mexico 0.79% (5,988 votes)

States with victory margins between 1% and 5% (accounting for 93 electoral votes):

New Hampshire 1.37% (9,274 votes)
Ohio 2.10% (118,601 votes) (decisive state)
Pennsylvania 2.50% (144,248 votes)
Nevada 2.59% (21,500 votes)
Michigan 3.42% (165,437 votes)
Minnesota 3.48% (98,319 votes)
Oregon 4.16% (76,332 votes)
Colorado 4.67% (99,523 votes)

States where the margin ranged from 5% to under 10% (totaling 149 electoral votes):

Florida 5.01% (380,978 votes)
Maine's 2nd Congressional District 5.83% (20,762 votes)
New Jersey 6.68% (241,427 votes)
Washington 7.18% (205,307 votes)
Missouri 7.20% (196,542 votes)
Delaware 7.60% (28,492 votes)
Virginia 8.20% (262,217 votes)
Hawaii 8.75% (37,517 votes)
Maine 8.99% (66,641 votes)
Arkansas 9.76% (102,945 votes)
California 9.94% (1,235,659 votes)

Voting statistics

Counties with the largest percentage of Republican support:

Counties with the highest Democratic vote percentages:

Shannon County, South Dakota 84.62%
City and County of San Francisco, California 83.02%
Macon County, Alabama 82.92%
Bronx County, New York 82.80%

Campaign financing

Expenditures by candidate:

George W. Bush (Republican): $367,227,801
John Kerry (Democrat): $326,236,288
Ralph Nader (Independent): $4,566,037
Michael Badnarik (Libertarian): $1,093,013
Michael Peroutka (Constitution): $729,087
David Cobb (Green): $493,723
Walt Brown (Socialist Party USA): $2,060

Source: Federal Election Commission

Ballot access

Presidential ticket	Party	Ballot access
Bush / Cheney	Template:Party shading/Republican \| Republican	50+DC
Kerry / Edwards	Template:Party shading/Democratic \| Democratic	50+DC
Badnarik / Campagna	Template:Party shading/Libertarian \| Libertarian	48+DC
Peroutka / Baldwin	Template:Party shading/Constitution \| Constitution	36
Nader / Camejo	Template:Party shading/Independent \| Independent, Reform	34+DC
Cobb / LaMarche	Template:Party shading/Green \| Green	27+DC

2004 United States Electoral College

In Minnesota, one elector mistakenly cast a presidential vote for "John Ewards," a misspelling of Edwards. The Electoral College officially recorded this as a vote for Edwards for president, while the other nine electors supported Kerry. All ten electors voted for Edwards as vice president. This event represented the first occurrence in U.S. history where an elector cast votes for the same individual for both president and vice president. Due to the secret ballot system, it was impossible to identify the faithless elector or determine if the error was deliberate or accidental; officials believed it was probably a mistake.

Statistical analysis

Throughout the campaign and on election night, attention focused on pivotal swing states Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, each possessing more than 20 electoral votes. Kerry secured Pennsylvania; Bush won Florida, which shifted scrutiny to Ohio.

The day following the election, Ohio’s results remained decisive. Bush held a lead, but provisional ballots were still being tallied. Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell indicated approximately 135,000 provisional ballots awaited counting. Kerry’s team assessed that overcoming Bush’s margin was statistically unfeasible, prompting Kerry’s concession.

Bush became the first Republican victor without carrying New Hampshire and the first to win the popular vote without Vermont and Illinois. This election was the last time a president was re-elected with an increased share in either the electoral or popular vote. Notably, Bush carried Colorado—Kerry’s birth state—while losing Connecticut, Bush’s own birth state; this was the only election since 1864 where neither candidate won their birth state.

Several states voted for the losing candidate for the first time in decades: New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Illinois, Michigan, California, Maryland, and Delaware. Bush’s popular vote margin of 2.4% was the narrowest ever for a re-elected incumbent.

Bush carried three states that have not supported Republicans since: Virginia, Colorado, and New Mexico. Virginia had consistently voted Republican from 1968 through 2004 but has favored Democrats starting in 2008. This election also marked the last occasion losing candidates won Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It was unique in that every Northeastern state voted Democratic while all former Confederate states voted Republican simultaneously. Bush remains the only candidate to have won without any electoral votes from the Northeastern region.

This election was the last in which both major party tickets consisted solely of white men and where both parties managed to flip states. It is also the most recent instance of an incumbent flipping any states—in this case, Bush winning New Mexico and Iowa compared to 2000.

As of now, this marks Nevada’s last support for a Republican presidential candidate. It is also the only presidential election since 1988 where a Republican secured a majority of the popular vote and remains the sole occasion since 1984 that an incumbent Republican president was reelected. Bush uniquely stands as the only incumbent president re-elected after previously losing the popular vote. He joins six other Republicans—Lincoln, Grant, McKinley, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Reagan—who were re-elected consecutively. The voter turnout in 2004 was the highest since 1968.

This election is one of four U.S. presidential contests where the winner failed to carry any of Michigan, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin; others occurred in 2000, 1916, and 1884.

It was also the first presidential race since 1988 where a candidate achieved a majority of the popular vote and remained the last time a Republican did so until Donald Trump in 2024. Both major party candidates flipped at least one state—only two elections this century (2004 and 2024) have featured candidates winning fewer than 20 states each. All four principal party candidates from this election remain alive today. This is also the most recent election without women or persons of color on either major ticket and one of only two between 1980 and 2024 where winners earned fewer than 300 electoral votes or less than 55% of electoral college votes. Furthermore, it is the last winning ticket without either Joe Biden or Donald Trump.

Voter demographics

Breakdown of 2004 presidential election results by demographic categories
Demographic group	Template:Party shading/Democratic \|Kerry	Template:Party shading/Republican \|Bush	Template:Party shading/Independent \|Other	% of total electorate
Overall vote	48	51	1	100
Political ideology
Liberals	86	13	1	21
Moderates	54	45	1	45
Conservatives	15	84	1	34
Party affiliation
Democrats	89	11	0	37
Republicans	6	93	1	37
Independents	49	48	3	26
Gender distribution
Men	44	55	1	46
Women	51	48	1	54
Marital status breakdown
Married voters	42	57	1	63
Non-married voters	58	40	2	37

Source: CNN exit poll (sample size: 13,660)

Aftermath

This presidential election is notable as one of only two occasions since the Democratic and Republican parties established dominance where the victor failed to secure any of the three key Rust Belt states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin; the other occurrence was in the year 2000, when Bush initially won.

Voting issues in Ohio

After the election, both activists and academics voiced concerns about Ohio's voting procedures, highlighting excessive waiting times that surpassed seven hours and reports of electronic voting machines mistakenly adding thousands of votes to Bush’s count. Nevertheless, Professor Edward B. Foley determined that these problems did not impact the final election result.

Challenges and conspiracy claims

In the aftermath of the election, a variety of blogs propagated baseless allegations of voter fraud, insinuating that Kerry was unjustly denied victory. Although the Kerry campaign chose not to formally dispute the overall outcome, Green Party contender David Cobb and Libertarian Michael Badnarik requested a recount in Ohio, which concluded on December 28, 2004. In 2007, two Ohio election officials were found guilty of selecting precincts where machine tallies matched hand counts to circumvent a comprehensive recount. Additionally, independent candidate Ralph Nader secured a recount in 11 New Hampshire precincts utilizing Accuvote machines.

On January 6, during the official tallying of electoral votes, an objection under the Electoral Count Act was lodged against Ohio’s electoral delegation. This objection, backed by at least one legislator from each chamber, led to separate debates and votes. In the House of Representatives, 31 Democrats supported the objection; it was opposed by 178 Republicans, 88 Democrats, and one independent, with numerous members abstaining. In the Senate, only Barbara Boxer voted in favor; 74 senators opposed it and 25 abstained. No senators advocated for overturning the election results. Boxer clarified that her objection was intended to draw attention to systemic issues requiring reform.

Kerry later stated that "widespread irregularities" rendered it impossible to verify that Ohio’s results accurately reflected voters' intentions. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean voiced skepticism regarding the integrity of Ohio’s election process due to voter suppression and unreliable voting machines, insinuating that unethical methods were likely employed to influence the outcome.

Sources

Official Federal Election Commission Report, containing final vote counts.
Barone, Michael J. The Almanac of American Politics: 2006 (2005)
Daclon, Corrado Maria, US elections and war on terrorism (2004), Analisi Difesa, no. 50
Evan Thomas, Eleanor Clift, and Newsweek staff. Election 2004 (2005)

Books

Ceaser, James W. and Andrew E. Busch. Red Over Blue: The 2004 Elections and American Politics (2005), a detailed historical account.
Freeman, Steven F. and Joel Bleifuss, with a foreword by U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen? Exit Polls, Election Fraud, and the Official Count (Seven Stories Press, 2006)
Green, John C. and Mark J. Rozell, editors. The Values Campaign?: The Christian Right and the 2004 Elections (2006)
Miller, Mark Crispin. Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election (2005)
Sabato, Larry J. Divided States of America: The Slash And Burn Politics of the 2004 Presidential Election (2005)
Stempel III, Guido H. and Thomas K. Hargrove, editors. The 21st-Century Voter: Who Votes, How They Vote, and Why They Vote (2 volumes, 2015)

External links

Comprehensive coverage of the 2004 Election at Counting the Votes

Official candidate websites

Michael Badnarik (Libertarian) (archived by U.S. Library of Congress United States Election 2004 Web Archive)
George W. Bush (Republican) (archived by U.S. Library of Congress United States Election 2004 Web Archive)
David Cobb (Green) (archived by U.S. Library of Congress United States Election 2004 Web Archive)
John Kerry (Democrat) (archived by U.S. Library of Congress United States Election 2004 Web Archive)
Ralph Nader (Independent) (archived by U.S. Library of Congress United States Election 2004 Web Archive)
Michael Peroutka (Constitution) (archived November 1, 2004)

Election maps and analysis

Electoral Vote Projections by State

Election Disputes and Issues

Funding of Election Campaigns

Financial Contributions Overview

Political Advertising

Archive of 2004 Campaign Advertisements

↑ Maine Certificate of Ascertainment and Nebraska Certificate of Ascertainment (2004)

[1] Maine Certificate of Ascertainment and Nebraska Certificate of Ascertainment (2004)

[1]