US election: Diary of democracy in trouble

WASHINGTON – The major events that followed the mistaken projection of a winner in the November 7 US presidential election between candidates Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore:

November 8

2:16am EST - Bush declared president-elect after TV networks project the Republican carried Florida.
2:30am EST - Gore concedes defeat during telephone call to Bush.
3:30am EST - Gore retracts concession, tells Bush ``circumstances have changed.''
3:40am EST - TV networks reverse earlier call, say Florida race too close to call.
4:10am EST - Gore leads in Electoral College, 249 to 246.
4:40am EST - Gore takes lead in popular vote.

November 9

Gore campaign considers legal challenge; Reform Party's Pat Buchanan says thousands of voters accidentally voted for him instead of Gore; 19,000 ballots invalidated in Palm Beach, Florida.

November 10

Florida completes recount in all but one county; Bush adviser former Secretary of State James Baker accuses Gore of prolonging election; possible legal challenges, additional recounts.

November 11

Bush sues to stop hand recounting of disputed votes in four heavily Democratic Florida counties.

November 13

Federal judge refuses to stop counts by hand. Election officials announce plans to certify statewide results minus overseas absentee ballots by next day, while Gore joins suit seeking to prevent making tally final.

November 14

Florida state judge upholds today's deadline for vote certification, but says recounts can be considered later. Bush leads by 300 votes in official Florida tally, with a final count expected within days.

November 15

Legal wrangling continues, with Gore seeking approval of hand recounts from the Florida high court, while Bush wins a hearing in federal appeals court on the legality of such recounts. Gore offers to concede if statewide recount shows Bush won, a proffer the Republican refuses.

November 16

Florida Supreme Court denies plea to halt manual recounts in Democratic strongholds; Bush decides against asking for a recount in Iowa, which Gore carried by 4131 votes.


November 17

Florida judge refuses to require that state officials include hand recounts in final tally; Gore appeals. Florida Supreme Court bars Secretary of State Katherine Harris from certifying election after counting overseas ballots on Nov. 18 as she had planned. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta rejects Republican request to halt hand recounts.

November 18

With the addition of overseas absentee ballots, Bush increases his lead over Gore to 930 votes in Florida. Bush's team cites ``clear and compelling evidence'' of serious irregularities in the hand recount.

November 19

Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman says he believes the ``benefit of the doubt'' should be given to the military ballots coming from overseas.

November 20

Florida Supreme Court hears the arguments of both sides.

November 21

Florida Supreme Court rules that hand-counts may continue and should be taken into account in the final vote tally, sparking praise from Gore camp and criticism from Bush that court overreached.

November 22

Cheney suffers slight heart attack.

Officials in Miami-Dade County, largest of three conducting manual vote recounts, abandoned the effort, saying they would not meet Nov. 26 certification deadline.

November 24

Cheney released from hospital.

US Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments in Bush lawsuit challenging Florida Supreme Court's decision to allow continued hand-counts of votes.

November 26

Secretary of State Harris certifies Bush as winner of Florida's 25 electoral votes. Bush claims victory and appoints Cheney to head his transition team.

November 27

US General Services Administration, which acts as federal landlord and office manager, refuses to turn over transition office space to Bush team.

November 30

Truck carrying 463,000 ballots from Florida's Palm Beach County arrives at courthouse in Tallahassee for possible recount.

December 1

US Supreme Court hears arguments over whether Florida Supreme Court overreached when it allowed hand recount of some Florida votes to continue; ``ballot caravan'' travels through Florida to Tallahassee courthouse carrying 654,000 votes from Miami-Dade County for possible recount; Florida Supreme Court rejects Gore's motion for immediate recount and also rejects motion from Palm Beach citizens who objected to the ``butterfly ballot'' used in that county.

December 4

US Supreme Court sets aside Florida Supreme Court ruling in hand count deadline, giving temporary victory to Bush; Bush also wins when Leon County's circuit court rejects Gore's suit to challenge Florida's certified result; Gore's team said they would appeal the ruling.

December 7

Lawyers for Gore and Bush argue before Florida Supreme Court and in two Leon County courts in Tallahassee.

December 8

In a stunning reversal of fortune, the Florida Supreme Court kept Gore's hopes alive by ordering a manual recount of 9,000 disputed votes in Miami-Dade County and any other disputed ballots in other Florida counties. Suits concerning absentee ballots brought by Gore supporters in two Leon County courts in Tallahassee were rejected.

December 9

Just hours after several Florida counties started the court-mandated hand recounts, the US Supreme Court granted Bush's plea to halt them temporarily pending a hearing on his challenge to the recounts on December 11. Dissenters in the 5-4 decision accused the majority of acting ``unwisely'', saying the count suspension would call into question the election's legitimacy. The counting stopped soon after the ruling.

- REUTERS

Herald Online feature: Fight for the Whitehouse

The US Electoral College

Florida Dept. of State Division of Elections

Supreme Court of Florida

Supreme Court of the United States

Democrats and Republicans wage war online