1. It was the Bush campaign that asked the Supreme Court for a stay.
2. The initial recount was triggered automatically because of the narrow margin. It was not requested by Gore. He did still lose it but by a much smaller margin than before. It turns out that 18 counties in Florida didn’t carry out the recount, although Gore never challenged this.
3. Candidates are allowed to request recounts in individual counties. Gore exercised that right in four traditionally democratic voting counties. Bush had the same right.
4. Later analysis showed that Gore would have lost the counties he requested recounts in but if Florida had properly counted ballots in the first place he would have won.
5. The Supreme Court controversy comes from Florida’s requirement to certify results within 7 days. Several of the counties that Gore requested said they couldn’t complete the recount in that time. The Florida Secretary of State didn’t extend the deadline for certification but did allow counties to continue recounts and amend their results. The Supreme Court stepped in and stayed these recounts, forcing Florida electors to accept the initially certified results and blocking any amended results.
1. It was the Bush campaign that asked the Supreme Court for a stay.
2. The initial recount was triggered automatically because of the narrow margin. It was not requested by Gore. He did still lose it but by a much smaller margin than before. It turns out that 18 counties in Florida didn’t carry out the recount, although Gore never challenged this.
3. Candidates are allowed to request recounts in individual counties. Gore exercised that right in four traditionally democratic voting counties. Bush had the same right.
4. Later analysis showed that Gore would have lost the counties he requested recounts in but if Florida had properly counted ballots in the first place he would have won.
5. The Supreme Court controversy comes from Florida’s requirement to certify results within 7 days. Several of the counties that Gore requested said they couldn’t complete the recount in that time. The Florida Secretary of State didn’t extend the deadline for certification but did allow counties to continue recounts and amend their results. The Supreme Court stepped in and stayed these recounts, forcing Florida electors to accept the initially certified results and blocking any amended results.