TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Twenty-four years ago, the phrase “too close to call” echoed across television shows and newspapers across the United States.

On November 7, 2000, the presidential election hinged on Florida’s electoral votes, determining the fate of the nation’s leadership: George W. Bush or then-Vice President Al Gore.

“2000 was a really crazy year and it all came down to Florida and a race that ultimately decided the race for president by 537 votes,” FOX 13 Tampa political editor and reporter Craig Patrick said Wednesday three decades. “I knew the race between Bush and Gore was going to be very close. We knew Florida could be decisive in terms of Electoral College math.”

Presidential winner declared prematurely

Initially, television networks relied on exit polls and data from certain swing precincts in Florida to prematurely declare victory for Democratic candidate Al Gore. Viewers were greeted with images of Gore as the projected president.

However, after he made that statement, the networks received calls from Republicans saying the Florida race was far from decided. Soon, other networks began to take note of these objections and came to similar conclusions.

Screenshot of CNN prematurely calling Florida for Al Gore (FOX 5 file)

As the evening wore on, she looked increasingly favorable to Bush, prompting Gore to concede. Consequently, the major broadcast networks announced Bush as the winner. However, as vote counting continued throughout the night, the race tightened significantly, prompting Gore to withdraw his concession to Bush and the networks.

In turn, the networks were forced to withdraw their earlier call for Bush as the margin between the candidates continued to shrink with each new number.

The next day brought uncertainty about the presidency. In the following hours, Katherine Harris, the Florida secretary of state responsible for officially certifying the winner, declared Bush the winner of Florida.

“Because of the way Florida tabulated and voted at the time, that led to a lot of confusion, especially in one county in particular, Palm Beach County,” Patrick continued. “That led to litigation that led to Florida picking the race, 537 votes, and ultimately a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Voters Confused by ‘Ballots’

A closer look at Palm Beach County’s controversial ‘ballot’ (FOX 5 File)

Confusion surrounded “ballots” marked for third-party candidate Patrick Buchanan in the heavily Democratic Palm Beach County precinct, suggesting many voters mistakenly thought they were casting their ballots for Gore.

“I probably got some votes that were intended for Al Gore. I don’t know how many, but that’s what I think,” Buchanan himself said at the time.

In addition, the use of punch card ballots led to problems where voters’ attempts to record their choices were only partially successful, leading to the infamous “suspended chads” and “dimpled chads”.

Broward County Board of Aldermen Judge Robert Rosenberg shows a ballot to an unidentified onlooker November 23, 2000 at the Broward County Courthouse in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. (Credit: RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images)

As the situation escalated, lawyers from both sides began to converge on Florida, leading to an unprecedented five-week legal showdown over ballots, election rules and judicial interpretations.

“There was a lot, not just legal challenges, but public outcry and on both sides,” Patrick recalled. “Both sides were aware of the stakes. You also had very high tensions.”

Despite Gore winning the popular vote by about half a million ballots, the critical Electoral College tally remained so close that the Florida result ultimately determined the presidency, with George W. Bush emerging victorious.

“At the end of the day, after the US Supreme Court decision, you had Vice President Gore say he disagreed with the decision, but he accepted it, and ultimately we moved on,” noted Patrick, noting, “We ‘I see a striking contrast from 24 years ago to how our nation has changed in the two decades since.’

Florida Voting System Changes

Florida has faced considerable criticism for its handling of the 2000 recount litigation, particularly due to the absence of a uniform process. This has since been rectified as the state legislature established clear guidelines for conducting recounts.

According to Patrick, the voting system in the Sunshine State has also evolved significantly in the years since.

“It’s changed the way Florida votes. That’s for sure,” Patrick said, adding that the state now requires all counties to use ballots where voters use a pen to mark their candidate’s name, and the way the count proceeds is now clearly explained.

The ballots are subject to a second review by scanning machines in each county, under the vigilant supervision of the representatives of both political parties and the respective campaigns. Any ballots that remain illegible for recount races are set aside.

“We certainly had some controversy in 2018 where we had some recounts and some very close races in terms of how the ballots are designed and what counts and what doesn’t count, but the process was much less confusing, at least , than what we had in 2000,” Patrick added.

The 2000 election vs. the 2024 election

With the American electorate so evenly divided, in future presidential elections there may be precincts close enough that officials will have to recount the votes. But experts say don’t expect those recounts to change the winner. They rarely do, even when the margins are small.

“The (original) count is pretty accurate because the machines work — they work very well,” said Tammy Patrick, a former Arizona election official who is now with the National Association of Election Officials. “We have recounts and we have audits to make sure we got it right.”

There have been 36 statewide general election recounts since America’s most famous recount in 2000.

“Well, we’re looking at a very, very close race,” Patrick said of the upcoming race the 2024 election. “Florida is no longer a swing state by any measure. So now you have 43 states, including Florida, that don’t seem to be on the board. So the focus will definitely be on what was or is called the Blue Wall States of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Those will be the big three to watch for sure.”

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