“Too close to call” has been the most popular phrase in the media for the past week. This phrase refers to one of the closest elections in the country’s history which will be decided on the final count of the Sunshine State.
The deciding factor lies in Florida’s 25 electoral votes. Texas Governor George W. Bush currently holds a 300-vote lead after a recount of the state’s 67 counties. Neither candidate can claim victory without winning Florida.
The latest conflicts are the numerous lawsuits filed by citizens and political parties alike in hopes to sway the results of the election. The Gore campaign has filed suit in various counties of Florida to extend voting deadlines to ensure that all possible votes are counted.
Yesterday, a judge in Florida ruled that dimple ballots in question will be left to the discretion of a canvassing board. A dimple ballot, or hanging chad, is a ballot that was not properly poked through and is difficult to be read by machines.
Many citizens have filed suit in the county of Palm Beach, where Democrats are claiming an illegal butterfly ballot was used. The ballot in question lists the presidential candidates on both sides of the ballot, allegedly making it difficult for voters to understand. A seemingly abnormal amount of votes were cast for Reform candidate Pat Buchanan, and Democrats claim the ballot was to blame. It is still uncertain if and how those ballots will be counted.
With Bush only winning the vote by less than one-half of one percent, Florida law called for a mandatory recount in the state. After the recount Gore’s margin had considerably narrowed, but still trailed his opponent by 300 votes. Both campaigns are still awaiting overseas ballots to finish coming in. They are due by tomorrow.
Regardless of who wins the final count, either candidate will have a very difficult job without winning a clear majority. “We have never seen anything like this. Everything is tied . There is no clear voice. The person who wins won’t speak with a majority,” said Ken Warren, a professor in Saint Louis University’s political science department.
Time is slowly becoming an issue in this unique election. The electoral college is scheduled to meet on Dec. 18. It is unknown if Florida’s dispute will be resolved by then. According to Warren, if Florida has not decided by then, there is a possibility that they will not send electors, thus giving Gore the win. If Florida does send electors from the Republican party, then there is a possibility that Congress will not accept Florida’s 25 votes and will also give Gore the victory.
Despite this drawn-out conclusion Warren, who also works as a pollster said, “Opinion polls show that despite complaints, 2/3 to 3/4 of people don’t want to rush the judgment. That means they understand the legal challenges.”
In the case that Florida does go Gore’s way, Bush will likely call for a recount in other states that are close. He could call for a recount in states like Washington, Iowa and Wisconsin.
“Not any of the Pundits know when this will end; there are too many legal challenges,” said Warren, who believes Gore will come out in top when this is over. “What’s important is to count fairly and that it be perceived to be counted fairly by the people.”
