Talk:US Election 2000

Is this the second election in recent times to be possibley affected by votor fraud? (1960 and 2000)

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--JohnAbbe

George W. Bush is alleged by Democrats to be the first president of the United States who has not been elected by the voters but by courts. It not political (I am german), but a fact : He did gather less votes than Al Gore.

The US 2000 Presidential election was very controversial, but the statement above oversimplifies the controversy. The United States Constitution explicitly describes the procedure for electing the president. The people do not elect a president directly, but instead elect people to the Electoral College (which selects the president). The Electoral College system was originally seen as a means to prevent the excesses of a pure democracy and to provide more political representation to less populated states.

The 2000 election was not the first time that the US popular vote was different than the result of the Electoral College. Since states give all of their electoral votes to the winner of the state election, small majorities in highly-populated states can beat larger majorities in less-populated states.

The biggest election controversy was over the results from the state of Florida, which was determined by less than 1000 votes out of over 6,000,000 votes cast. The results were challenged, and a series of recounts, attempted recounts, and court cases began. In some of the important legal cases the local courts ruled against recounts, but were overruled by the Florida Supreme Court.

The US Supreme Court avoided ruling on the legal issues at first, but finally issued a ruling that overruled the Florida Supreme Court and effectively prohibited further recounts in Florida. The final vote was 5-4, and was split by the apparent political alignment of the court. Many people have claimed that the court's move was more political than legal. (For instance, some who voted to overturn the Florida court have been strong advocates of "state's rights" in other contexts.)

Shortly after the Supreme Court's final ruling, Al Gore conceded the 2000 presidential election.

Yes, the claim is false on many counts. As you correctly point out, no president has ever been elected by the people. Most were elected by the electoral college, which frequently matches the popular vote, but which has failed to do so before, as with Benjamin Harrison. Thomas Jefferson was elected by the house of representatives after he tied in the electoral college with Aaron Burr. Gerald R. Ford was never elected by anyone, but was appointed vice president by Richard M. Nixon, who then resigned. Fraud has been alleged in every election ever held, and often credited with changing results, such as with John F. Kennedy, who narrowly defeated Nixon by fewer votes than were alleged to have been cast by dead residents of Illinois. American politics has always been interesting. -- Lee Daniel Crocker