The Election of 2000
10 years ago today, on November 7, 2000, Americans went to the polls to vote in what was almost certainly the most controversial election since 1876 (which you can read about here.) Texas Governor George W. Bush, was the nominee for the Republican party, and Vice-President Al Gore carried the re-election hopes for the Democrats, and on election day the race came down to the wire. Bush carried most of the south with comfortable margins and also won Ohio, Indiana, most of the rural mid-west, most of the Rocky Mountain states, and Alaska. Gore swept the northeast except for New Hampshire, most of the upper mid-west, and all of the Pacific Coast states as well as Hawaii. Gore lost his home state of Tennessee, as well as Arkansas, the home state of President Bill Clinton.
By the end of the night it all came down to Florida and its 25 electoral votes. Early on in the evening, some of the tv networks called Florida for Gore, based on exit polling numbers. By 2:30 a.m., with about 85% of the votes counted, Bush led by more than 100,000 votes. But most of the remaining votes were located in three heavily Democratic counties - Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach. By 4:30 a.m., after all of the votes were counted, Bush led by just over 2,000 votes. Gore had privately conceded the election to Bush, but called back later to withdraw his concession. The final result was close enough to require a mandatory recount under Florida state law and when the first recount (by machine) was done, Bush's lead dwindled to about 300 votes. The overseas military ballots later boosted Bush's margin to about 900 votes.
The Democrats requested hand recounts in four counties: Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Volusia, as allowed for under Florida state law. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris announced that she would reject any revised totals from those counties unless they were turned in by November 14, the statutory deadline for amended returns. The Florida Supreme Court extended the deadline to November 26, a decision later vacated by the U.S. Supreme Court. On November 26, the state canvassing board certified Bush the winner of Florida's electors by 537 votes. Gore contested the certified results, but a state court decision overruling Gore was reversed by the Florida Supreme Court, which ordered a recount of over 70,000 ballots.
On December 12, the Supreme Court ruled in a 7–2 split that the Florida Supreme Court's ruling requiring a statewide recount of ballots was unconstitutional, and in a 5–4 vote the court ruled that the Florida recount should cease and the previously certified total should stand.
The results of this vote remain controversial and evocative of strong emotions from both sides. Bush supporters note that Bush led in every single recount, while Gore supporters believe that a different result would have emerged from a differently composed court. In the national vote Gore received 543,895 more popular votes than Bush.
Four years later, in 2004, Bush would win re-election soundly, receiving 62,040,610 votes, the most for any presidential candidate in history up to that time.
By the end of the night it all came down to Florida and its 25 electoral votes. Early on in the evening, some of the tv networks called Florida for Gore, based on exit polling numbers. By 2:30 a.m., with about 85% of the votes counted, Bush led by more than 100,000 votes. But most of the remaining votes were located in three heavily Democratic counties - Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach. By 4:30 a.m., after all of the votes were counted, Bush led by just over 2,000 votes. Gore had privately conceded the election to Bush, but called back later to withdraw his concession. The final result was close enough to require a mandatory recount under Florida state law and when the first recount (by machine) was done, Bush's lead dwindled to about 300 votes. The overseas military ballots later boosted Bush's margin to about 900 votes.
The Democrats requested hand recounts in four counties: Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Volusia, as allowed for under Florida state law. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris announced that she would reject any revised totals from those counties unless they were turned in by November 14, the statutory deadline for amended returns. The Florida Supreme Court extended the deadline to November 26, a decision later vacated by the U.S. Supreme Court. On November 26, the state canvassing board certified Bush the winner of Florida's electors by 537 votes. Gore contested the certified results, but a state court decision overruling Gore was reversed by the Florida Supreme Court, which ordered a recount of over 70,000 ballots.
On December 12, the Supreme Court ruled in a 7–2 split that the Florida Supreme Court's ruling requiring a statewide recount of ballots was unconstitutional, and in a 5–4 vote the court ruled that the Florida recount should cease and the previously certified total should stand.
The results of this vote remain controversial and evocative of strong emotions from both sides. Bush supporters note that Bush led in every single recount, while Gore supporters believe that a different result would have emerged from a differently composed court. In the national vote Gore received 543,895 more popular votes than Bush.
Four years later, in 2004, Bush would win re-election soundly, receiving 62,040,610 votes, the most for any presidential candidate in history up to that time.