2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida

Updated: Wikipedia source

2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida

The 2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida was a period of vote recounting in Florida that occurred during the weeks after Election Day in the 2000 United States presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The Florida vote was ultimately settled in Bush's favor by a margin of 537 votes out of 5,963,110 cast when the U . Supreme Court, in Bush v. Gore, stopped a recount that had been initiated upon a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court. Bush's win in Florida gave him a majority of votes in the Electoral College and victory in the presidential election.

Infobox

Nominee

Al Gore

Party

Democratic

Home state

Tennessee

Running mate

Joe Lieberman

Electoral vote

267

States carried

20 DC

Tables

· Lingering controversies › Influential decisions › Florida counties' recount decisions

Decision-makers

Decision-makers

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Decision-makers

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Decisions

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Impact on vote count

Gore

Gore

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Gore

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Bush

Canvassing boards around the state

Canvassing boards around the state

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Canvassing boards around the state

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Decisions by some canvassing boards to count illegal overseas absentee ballots. At Thanksgiving, decisions by 14 county boards to reverse prior decisions in order to include 288 ballots that had been rejected days earlier.

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

194

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

486

Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Charlotte, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hendry, Hernando, Holmes, Lake, Manatee, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns and Washington Counties

Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Charlotte, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hendry, Hernando, Holmes, Lake, Manatee, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns and Washington Counties

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Charlotte, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hendry, Hernando, Holmes, Lake, Manatee, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns and Washington Counties

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Election day decisions by 17 Optiscan counties not to "manually review overvotes that couldn't be properly read by machine"

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-1,278

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-826

Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Leon, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns, Suwanee and Washington Counties

Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Leon, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns, Suwanee and Washington Counties

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Leon, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns, Suwanee and Washington Counties

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Election day decisions by 19 Optiscan counties not to "manually review undervotes that couldn't be read by counting machines"

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-789

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-733

Canvassing boards of Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Sumter and Wakulla Counties

Canvassing boards of Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Sumter and Wakulla Counties

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Canvassing boards of Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Sumter and Wakulla Counties

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Election day decisions by 21 punch-card counties not to "attempt to determine voter intent on undervotes that couldn't be read by counting machines"

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-1,310

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-1,858

The above 21 boards plus Palm Beach County Canvassing Board

The above 21 boards plus Palm Beach County Canvassing Board

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

The above 21 boards plus Palm Beach County Canvassing Board

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Election day decisions by 22 punch-card counties not to "attempt to determine voter intent on overvotes that couldn't be properly read by machine"

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-396

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-189

Palm Beach County Canvassing Board

Palm Beach County Canvassing Board

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Palm Beach County Canvassing Board

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Decision not to review dimpled ballots with clear indications of intent

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-2,735

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-2,107

Nassau County Canvassing Board

Nassau County Canvassing Board

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Nassau County Canvassing Board

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Decision to change county's certified vote from the mechanical recount total back to the election night vote total

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

73

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

124

Secretary of State Katherine Harris

Secretary of State Katherine Harris

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Secretary of State Katherine Harris

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Decision not to include Palm Beach County's vote recount results (all but 53 precincts) submitted before certification deadline

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-480

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-265

Secretary of State Katherine Harris

Secretary of State Katherine Harris

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Secretary of State Katherine Harris

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Decision not to include Miami-Dade County's vote recount results (139 precincts) accomplished before certification deadline

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-302

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-134

Impact of all decisions on candidates' potential statewide totals

Impact of all decisions on candidates' potential statewide totals

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Impact of all decisions on candidates' potential statewide totals

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-7,023

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

-5,502

Potential statewide vote count in absence of all decisions

Potential statewide vote count in absence of all decisions

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Potential statewide vote count in absence of all decisions

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

2,919,276

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

2,918,292

Gore by 984

Gore by 984

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total

Gore by 984

Pre-certification decisions that altered certified Florida 2000 presidential vote total
Decision-makers	Decisions	Impact on vote count
Decision-makers	Decisions	Gore	Bush
Canvassing boards around the state	Decisions by some canvassing boards to count illegal overseas absentee ballots. At Thanksgiving, decisions by 14 county boards to reverse prior decisions in order to include 288 ballots that had been rejected days earlier.	194	486
Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Charlotte, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hendry, Hernando, Holmes, Lake, Manatee, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns and Washington Counties	Election day decisions by 17 Optiscan counties not to "manually review overvotes that couldn't be properly read by machine"	-1,278	-826
Canvassing boards of Alachua, Bay, Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Leon, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, St. Johns, Suwanee and Washington Counties	Election day decisions by 19 Optiscan counties not to "manually review undervotes that couldn't be read by counting machines"	-789	-733
Canvassing boards of Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Sumter and Wakulla Counties	Election day decisions by 21 punch-card counties not to "attempt to determine voter intent on undervotes that couldn't be read by counting machines"	-1,310	-1,858
The above 21 boards plus Palm Beach County Canvassing Board	Election day decisions by 22 punch-card counties not to "attempt to determine voter intent on overvotes that couldn't be properly read by machine"	-396	-189
Palm Beach County Canvassing Board	Decision not to review dimpled ballots with clear indications of intent	-2,735	-2,107
Nassau County Canvassing Board	Decision to change county's certified vote from the mechanical recount total back to the election night vote total	73	124
Secretary of State Katherine Harris	Decision not to include Palm Beach County's vote recount results (all but 53 precincts) submitted before certification deadline	-480	-265
Secretary of State Katherine Harris	Decision not to include Miami-Dade County's vote recount results (139 precincts) accomplished before certification deadline	-302	-134
Impact of all decisions on candidates' potential statewide totals		-7,023	-5,502
Potential statewide vote count in absence of all decisions		2,919,276	2,918,292
		48 %	48 %
		Gore by 984

· Post-election studies › NORC-sponsored Florida Ballot Project recount

Overvotes

Overvotes

Voting technology

Overvotes

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

Undervotes

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

Characteristics

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

No. Bush and Gore

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

Other candidates

Punchcard

Punchcard

Voting technology

Punchcard

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

721

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

18,610

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

Fully punched proper vote

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

646

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

678

2- or 3-corner detached chads

2- or 3-corner detached chads

Voting technology

2- or 3-corner detached chads

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

951

Dimple or 1-corner detached chads

Dimple or 1-corner detached chads

Voting technology

Dimple or 1-corner detached chads

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

15,141

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

292

Other (marginal) ballots

Other (marginal) ballots

Voting technology

Other (marginal) ballots

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

902

Optical scan

Optical scan

Voting technology

Optical scan

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

3008

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

2826

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

Properly filled, not read by machine

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

433

Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000

79

Wrong ink color/carbon content (oval/arrow filled)

Wrong ink color/carbon content (oval/arrow filled)

Voting technology

Wrong ink color/carbon content (oval/arrow filled)

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

796

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

116

Underfilled oval/arrow

Underfilled oval/arrow

Voting technology

Underfilled oval/arrow

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

393

Mark away from oval/arrow

Mark away from oval/arrow

Voting technology

Mark away from oval/arrow

Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election

1,009

Voting technology	Total reclaimable ballots from Florida 2000 presidential election		Reclaimable undervote ballots from Florida 2000
	Overvotes	Undervotes	Characteristics	No. Bush and Gore	Other candidates
Punchcard	721	18,610	Fully punched proper vote	646	678
			2- or 3-corner detached chads	951
			Dimple or 1-corner detached chads	15,141	292
			Other (marginal) ballots	902
Optical scan	3008	2826	Properly filled, not read by machine	433	79
			Wrong ink color/carbon content (oval/arrow filled)	796	116
			Underfilled oval/arrow	393
			Mark away from oval/arrow	1,009

· Post-election studies › County-by-county standards for write-in overvotes in 2000

Counties that count votes for the marked candidate if the write-in is

Counties that count votes for the marked candidate if the write-in is

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

Counties that count votes for the marked candidate if the write-in is

Counties that

an opposing candidate (0):

do not count any votes for the marked candidate (4):

none

the same name (1):

the same name (1):

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

the same name (1):

Counties that

Hendry

the same name or a blank space (28):

the same name or a blank space (28):

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

the same name or a blank space (28):

Counties that

Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Escambia, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Jackson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Liberty, Okeechobee, Orange, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Union, Walton, Washington

the same name, a blank space or a historical or fictional name (1):

the same name, a blank space or a historical or fictional name (1):

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

the same name, a blank space or a historical or fictional name (1):

Counties that

Franklin

the same name, a blank space or an uncertified person's name (1):

the same name, a blank space or an uncertified person's name (1):

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

the same name, a blank space or an uncertified person's name (1):

Counties that

Flagler

the same name, a blank space, a historical or fictional name or an uncertified person's name (7):

the same name, a blank space, a historical or fictional name or an uncertified person's name (7):

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

the same name, a blank space, a historical or fictional name or an uncertified person's name (7):

Counties that

Alachua, Baker, Leon, Manatee, Monroe, Taylor, Volusia

Punchcard counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

Punchcard counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

Punchcard counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

Counties that

Counties that

do not count any votes for the marked candidate (4):

do not count any votes for the marked candidate (9):

Columbia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Suwannee

DeSoto, Duval, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Osceola, Sarasota

count votes for the punched candidate if the write-in is an uncertified person's name (12):

count votes for the punched candidate if the write-in is an uncertified person's name (12):

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes

count votes for the punched candidate if the write-in is an uncertified person's name (12):

Counties that

Broward, Collier, Dixie, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Wakulla

Optiscan counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes	Counties that	do not count any votes for the marked candidate (4):	Columbia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Suwannee
	Counties that count votes for the marked candidate if the write-in is	an opposing candidate (0):	none
		the same name (1):	Hendry
		the same name or a blank space (28):	Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Escambia, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Jackson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Liberty, Okeechobee, Orange, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Union, Walton, Washington
		the same name, a blank space or a historical or fictional name (1):	Franklin
		the same name, a blank space or an uncertified person's name (1):	Flagler
		the same name, a blank space, a historical or fictional name or an uncertified person's name (7):	Alachua, Baker, Leon, Manatee, Monroe, Taylor, Volusia
Punchcard counties' standards for valid write-in overvotes	Counties that	do not count any votes for the marked candidate (9):	DeSoto, Duval, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Osceola, Sarasota
	Counties that	count votes for the punched candidate if the write-in is an uncertified person's name (12):	Broward, Collier, Dixie, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Wakulla
		n/a or no answer (4):	Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Sumter

References

Positive sign indicates number of votes that decision caused to be included (or put back) in state certified total. Nega
Ballots received after deadline, lacking required postmarks, unsigned, undated, cast after election day, from unregister
The NORC study (see below) did not address either of the concerns about overseas absentee ballots and Nassau County's ce
Dr. Gary King of Harvard University applied statistical modeling to determine that the best estimate for the impact of i
According to standards being applied by each county at the time. Two-coder general agreement for punch-card counties.
Taylor County determined voter intent on some overvotes; however, it did not include them in its certified results.
Even though four other Optiscan counties (Hamilton, Polk, Seminole, Taylor) manually reviewed machine-rejected ballots f
Includes increase in Orange County's unofficially revised machine-tabulated vote total, due to machine later counting 51
Amount excludes 139 Miami-Dade precincts that were recounted.
Unlike the other 20 counties, Palm Beach and Pasco Counties determined voter intent on 74 overvotes for Gore and Bush; h
Of these 4,842 excluded ballots, 4,513 had been set aside by the canvassing board for later inspection by a court (which
When Palm Beach County completed its recount two hours after the certification deadline, its final count was Gore 501 vo
On December 9, 2000, four counties (Leon, Liberty, Madison, Manatee) completed recounts of undervotes ordered by the Flo
two-coder general agreement for punch card ballots
Officials in a majority of punch-card counties said they would accept a single-corner detached chad as an indicator of v
rejected by the Florida Supreme Court in its ruling of December 8, 2000
the lightly populated counties of Gadsden, Hamilton, Lafayette and Union
Nine counties (Alachua, Columbia, DeSoto, Glades, Lake, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter and Wakulla) reported that it was the
When the Florida Supreme Court ordered a statewide recount of remaining uncounted undervotes, it stipulated that the inc
Primarily write-in overvotes