For years, it seemed destined to remain the most bizarre and unfortunate presidential election any of us would see in our lifetimes.
On Election Day, November 7, 2000, the race between Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic nominee, and his Republican rival, Texas governor George W. Bush, was too tight for anyone to be confident about the outcome. It became clear that Florida’s 29 electoral votes would determine the winner. Between that evening and the following morning, the TV networks declared in succession that Gore had won the state; that the outcome was uncertain; that Bush had won; and finally that it was too close to call.
After an automatic machine recount left Bush with a lead of fewer than 1,000 votes, Gore sought a hand recount in four Florida counties. That led to a weeks-long effort that was part circus and part melodrama, with election officials attempting to divine the intentions of voters who had left their punch-card ballots with chads that were hanging, dimpled, or…
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Source : fastcompany.com
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