Why was the Supreme Court involved in determining the 2000 presidential results?

1 answer

The Supreme Court became involved in determining the 2000 presidential results because of a legal dispute over the recount of votes in the state of Florida. The outcome of the election hinged on the results in this critical swing state, where there were allegations of irregularities and contested ballots. The initial count showed Republican candidate George W. Bush ahead of Democratic candidate Al Gore by a narrow margin, triggering a recount. However, there were legal challenges and disagreements over the recount process, leading to the case being brought before the Supreme Court. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled in Bush v. Gore that the recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court was unconstitutional and effectively halted the recount, allowing Bush to be declared the winner of the election.