BY MARK R. CHELLGREN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FRANKFORT - A recanvass of voting in the U.S. Senate race once again proved the adage that voting really can make a difference.
According to figures released Friday, Republican Jim Bunning received 569,817 votes, or 49.7 percent, to 563,051 votes for Scotty Baesler, 49.1 percent. The difference was 6,766 votes, or an average of barely more than two votes in each of the 3,306 precincts in Kentucky. Reform Party candidate Charles Arbegust received the remaining 12,546 votes cast in the U.S. Senate contest on Nov. 3.
Mr. Baesler asked for the recanvass following the day after his narrow loss to Mr. Bunning, though he acknowledged it would probably not change the outcome.
"What it shows is voting does in fact make a difference," Bob Wiseman, Mr. Baesler's campaign manager, said Friday.
Mr. Wiseman said the campaign does not plan any other action and he wished Mr. Bunning the best as he begins his six-year Senate term in January.
The State Board of Elections is scheduled to meet Monday to certify the results of the election.
Recanvasses were requested in several other contests, but no outcomes were changed.
The closest race on Election Day turned out to be not quite so close.
Republican state Rep. Marie Rader of McKee retained her seat by 35 votes, nearly triple her unofficial margin on election night. Ms. Rader received 5,346 votes to 5,311 votes for Democrat Timothy Johnson.
Nearly four of every five people who cast ballots favored the constitutional amendment that will let the General Assembly exempt personal property, such as vehicles, from taxation.
Voting on the amendment that would have established annual sessions for the General Assembly was much closer. The amendment was defeated with 51.1 percent of the vote against it.
The popularity of the tax amendment may also be noted by the fact there were 17,500 more people who cast ballots on that issue than the annual sessions amendment - 861,947 to 844,447.
