CLOSEUP OF STICKERED BALLOT
This is a close-up of the sole surviving stickered presidential ballot from Pierce H, one of the precincts that was hand counted during the "recount" staged in Clermont County, Ohio, in December 2004. A mark for Kerry, made by the voter, has been covered with a white sticker by an election official, and the mark for Bush has been filled in by a distinctly darker writing implement than that used by the voter, thus altering the choice of the voter. Although the other marks in the crop shown above are for Republican candidates, the full ballot, included on the CD that comes with this book, shows that the voter chose Democratic candidates for some offices, including all three contested Supreme Court races. The ballot, now in the custody of Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, was placed on a window to serve as a light table, thus revealing the mark for Kerry behind the sticker. The photograph is unretouched. The lighting affected the colors in the photograph.