Key US state certifies Bush win

The issue of long queues could be addressed in a legal challenge

The US battleground state of Ohio has certified the victory of President George W Bush's in last month's poll.

Mr Bush beat Democratic rival John Kerry by almost 119,000 votes in Ohio, state authorities said on Monday.

This was less than the unofficial election night margin of 136,000 - but not enough for a mandatory recount.

The election hung on Ohio, which had the 20 electoral votes that would decide the winner. Mr Kerry did not concede until the day after the poll.

Recount bid

Two other presidential candidates, the Green Party's David Cobb and Libertarian Michael Badnarik, plan to request a recount in each of Ohio's 88 counties.

The candidates have raised enough money to pay for the recount themselves.

On Friday a US district judge halted an attempt by one county to stop the recount.

But both major parties have said they do not expect the recount to change the result.

The Kerry campaign is also backing the recount, AP news agency reports.

However, it says it is not disputing the outcome of the election but simply wants to make sure the count was accurate.