It is a widely held belief that George W. Bush stole the 2000 Presidential Election. He was declared the winner by 537 votes after the U.S. Supreme Court intervened and stopped the Florida recount.
George W. Bush did not steal the election. Ronald Reagan did - in the 1980s when he stacked the Supreme Court.
The Washington Post conducted a study of the computerized voting records to find the patterns of over voting. The study focused on eight of Florida's largest counties: Broward, Hillsborough, Highlands, Marion, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Pasco and Pinellas. The analysis found that more than 60,000 ballots were discarded as invalid; Al Gores name was on 46,000 ballots, and George W. Bush's name was on 17,000. There were several thousands of ballots with both candidates names checked on them.
The notorious "butterfly ballot" accounted for 8,000 of the Gore over votes. There were also 15,000 ballots which were cast as no votes. Either there were 15,000 people who decided to wait in line to cast an empty ballot, or there was something wrong with the machines.
The votes were declared invalid or void by a computer scanner. In deciding not to allow the manual recount, the Supreme Court disenfranchised tens of thousands of African Americans.
November 8, 2000
No Clear Winner In Electoral Vote... Gore Retracts Concession Call... Gore is First Presidential Candidate Since 1972 to Lose Home
State.
November 9, 2000
Gore Lawyers Plan Suit to Overturn Bush Victory... Fla. Recount Is Likely Just Start of Fight... Lawsuit Seeks New Election Over `Misleading' Ballot
November 10, 2000
Bush Maintains Slim Lead... Gore Won't Concede Even After Florida Recount... Motion for New Election in Palm Beach Dismissed
November 11, 2000
Florida Says Controversial Palm Beach Ballot Was Legal... Bush Camp Presses Gore To Concede... Pensacola Ballot Prompts Fraud Invesigation
November 12, 2000
Officials Begin Florida Hand Count... Bush Goes to Court To Halt Recount... Recount Judge Handles Tough Cases
November 13, 2000
Judge Refuses To Stop Handcount... Gore Launches First Direct Court Action in Florida... Countywide Manual Recount in Palm Beach
November 14, 2000
Bush Camp to Appeal Florida Hand Count Ruling... Dems Drive to Keep Counting Votes... Slow-Motion Larceny in Florida
November 15, 2000
More Legal Confusion in Recount... Bush/Gore Join Lawsuit on Recounts... Appeals Court to Hear Bush Case
November 16, 2000
Florida Certifies Bush Lead... Florida Secretary of State Denies Hand Recounts... Florida Officials Take Election Law to Court
November 17, 2000
Trial Judge Says Florida Can Reject Late Votes... Florida High Court Stops Certification... Gore Campaign To Appeal Decision
November 18, 2000
Courts Whipsaw Gore, Bush... Hundreds of Overseas Ballots Rejected... US Appeals Court Denies Bush Request
November 20, 2000
Republican, Democrat Electors Divided Over Electoral College... Democrat Memo on How to Disqualify Military Votes Published... GOP Protests Miami-Dade Recount
November 21, 2000
Florida High Court: Accept Late Ballots... Bush Camp Takes Issue Over Ballots... Gore Counting on Florida Dimples
November 22, 2000
Miami-Dade County Ends Recount... Florida Judge Rules on Dimpled Ballots... Cheney Has Artery Stent Put In
November 23, 2000
Court Allows Miami-Dade Count to End... Feeney: Support Building for Legislative Intervention... Gore Challenges Miami-Dade Move
November 24, 2000
Florida Lawmakers Anger At Court May Not Vanish... Court Won't Order Dade Recount... Recount Heads to Supreme Court
November 25, 2000
Broward County Finishes Recount... Bush Sues Over Absentee Ballots... Bush Challenge Would Be Moot If He Wins Florida
November 26, 2000
Bush Is Certified Winner in Florida... Palm Beach Stops Count for Deadline... Fla. Count Draws Gore, Bush Closer
November 27, 2000
Gore Contests Fla. Certification... Gore Says He'll Win If Uncounted Votes Are Tallied... Bush Plans for New Administration
November 28, 2000
Gore's Fights Spreads To 5 Courts... Bush, Gore Plea to Supreme Court... Gore Allegations Said 'Simply Wrong'
November 29, 2000
Leon County Judge Grants Gore Motions... Florida Legislative Panel Reviews Options On Electors... Gore Lawyer Calls Bush Case Flimsy
November 30, 2000
Florida Legislature Calls Special Session... Gore Says Fla. Can't Name Electors... Bush: Legislature Can Pick Electors
December 1, 2000
Supreme Court Ends Hearing on Bush-Gore Election... Gore Dealt Double Defeat in Florida... Fla. Court Refuses Manual Recount
December 2, 2000
Fla. Lawmakers Call Special Session... Gore Suit Goes Slowly As Bush Speeds Up Transition... Florida Absentee Ballots Challenged
December 4, 2000
Florida Judge Rejects Gore Election Challenge... U.S. Supreme Court Orders New State Ruling On Bush-Gore Battle
December 5, 2000
Fla. High Court to Hear Arguments on Gore Appeal... Florida Legislators May Not Meet... 11th Circuit Hears Bush Appeals
December 6, 2000
Florida Lawmakers Set Special Session Friday... U.S. Appeals Court Rejects Bid to Halt Hand Recount... Gore Endorses Lawsuits
December 7, 2000
Florida Lawmakers Call Special Session... Gore High Court Appeal Hinges On 'Three Mistakes'... Gore Weighs-In On Seminole Votes
December 8, 2000
Fla. Supreme Court Orders Partial Recount... Bush Wins Absentee Ballot Rulings... Fla. Lawmakers Open Session
December 9, 2000
U.S. Supreme Court Stops Illegal Florida Recount... Experts See High Court's Ruling Language As Crafty... Student Files Misconduct Complaint
December 11, 2000
Florida Legislation Committees Vote To Name Electors... Supreme Court Arguments Conclude... Court Upholds Military Ballots
December 12, 2000
Supreme Court Rules on Florida Case... Head of Democratic Party Urges Gore to Concede... Gore Team Mulling Next Step
December 13, 2000
Gore Decides To Drop Out... Gore Accepts Bush As 43rd President... President-Elect Bush: 'I Will Give It My All'
The Table to the left is a demographic analysis of every florida county. Next to the table is a link to show and hide a map
of the various florida counties. The map can be dragged in order to facilitate the analysis of the accompyning data.
Broward County and Miami-Dade County were the two hot spots in Florida for the 2000 Presidential Election.
It should be noted that both are over 20% Black. The counties shaded in Purple are over 20% Black, and
those that are shaded in Black are 15% or more Black. It should be noted that the Hatian community is a powerful
force in the African American community of Florida, and it will be interesting to see how they organize for the 2004
election.
BlackBallot.com will be sending a correspondent to Florida to cover the 2004 Florida Presidential Electoral Process. Kofi Asare will provide daily pictures, video and commentary from Florida. Please check back to see
the BlackBallot.com special Kofi Live from Florida.
