United States Presidential Election of 2000

Bush prevailed 271 to 267 after a 36-day Florida recount, losing the national popular vote.

Overview

The election came down to Florida, decided officially by 537 votes out of six million, with Gore holding a 543,000-vote national plurality. A machine recount, butterfly ballots, hanging chads, and the Supreme Court's 5-to-4 Bush v. Gore ruling ending recounts on equal protection grounds gave Bush 271 to 267, one more than needed. Gore's concession for the country's sake became a civics lesson. The fiasco produced the Help America Vote Act and enduring debate over the electoral college and ballot design.