The GOP Challenge Succeeds
The Republicans, after a serious battle over Florida, succeed in snatching the state away from Gore. However, that doesn't mean the Republicans have used the courtrooms to win what they couldn't win at the polls -- in fact, the state has not gone to Bush at all.
Instead, thanks to the Republican challenge, the vote from the state of Florida does not get certification. The procedure of certifying a state's vote is normally uncontroversial, but this year it makes all the difference. In this scenario, a state judge or the secretary of state decides that the Florida vote cannot be certified.
That means Florida cannot conclusively assign its 25 electoral votes by December 12, which is the final deadline for settling such disputes. To the amazement of the American population -- and to the enormous frustration of the people of Florida -- the votes of Floridians just don't count.
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