Election 2000: The Legal Challenges

The law is a ass, Dickens wrote. Not really. A close look at the statutes and rulings shows a method to the madness

When it became clear what a mess Florida was, both the Gore and Bush campaigns put out a nationwide dragnet for lawyers to help them fight for the state. We are a nation of laws, and there seems to be no limit to the constitutional provisions, statutes, court precedents and common-law principles that may be called upon to determine who will be the next President. The legal battle so far has taken in issues as majestic as the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and as humble as the status of the now famous dimpled chad.

CHADS AND DIMPLES

--In the...

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