Florida declares Bush the winner by 537 votes

TALLAHASSEE - Florida's election officials have declared Republican George W. Bush the winner of the state's disputed presidential vote, but Democrat Al Gore's legal team has moved to contest the results which, unless overturned, would make Bush the next president of the United States.

In a brief ceremony in Florida's state capitol, Secretary of State Katherine Harris and the two other members of the state canvassing commission signed the returns declaring that Texas Gov. Bush had defeated the vice president by 537 votes.

The exact results were 2,912,790 votes for Bush and 2,912,253 for Gore. Subject to further legal challenges, Bush gains Florida's 25 Electoral College votes, passing the 270 needed to win the presidency by a mere two votes.

Democrat Al Gore's legal advisors said they would contest the result in a Florida state court tomorrow on many different legal grounds and the vice president had no plans to concede defeat. Instead, aides said he might address the nation tomorrow, pleading for patience and fairness.

But certification of the Florida result, 19 days after the disputed Nov. 7 presidential election, was a serious political and psychological blow for the vice president, for the first time setting an official seal on Bush's apparent victory.

The passing of the deadline of 11 am today (NZ time), laid down by the Florida Supreme Court, allowed Harris, a Republican, to certify the result and declare the election at an end.

The deadline passed before officials in Palm Beach County could complete a hand recount that might have produced more votes for Gore. Harris turned down a request from the county for an extension until tomorrow morning to complete the recount.

The panel then submitted an incomplete recount, showing a marginal gain for Gore, and decided to complete the count anyway, placing the certified result under a moral and legal cloud.

- REUTERS

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