1. Electoral College
The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November
When you vote for your candidate, you actually vote for your candidate’s “electors”
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.
The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress.

2. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors
270 electoral votes are required to win the presidency
2012 new
The average electoral vote represents 436,000 people, but that number rises and falls per state depending on that state's population over 18 years of age
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Your state’s entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators. Read more about the allocation of electoral votes.
Under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, the District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a state for purposes of the Electoral College. For this reason, in the following discussion, the word “state” also refers to the District of Columbia.
Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate’s political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are. Read more about the qualifications of the Electors and restrictions on who the Electors may vote for.
The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You help choose your state’s electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate’s electors.
Most states have a “winner-take-all” system that awards all electors to the winning presidential candidate. However, Maine and Nebraska each have a variation of “proportional representation.” Read more about the allocation of Electors among the states and try to predict the outcome of the Electoral College vote.

3. 2012 election

4. Each candidate running has his or her own group of “electors” chosen by the candidate’s political party
The electors:
Chosen by their political party in recognition for their service and dedication to their political party
What are the qualifications to be an Elector? The U.S. Constitution contains very few provisions relating to the qualifications of Electors. Article II, section 1, clause 2 provides that no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. As a historical matter, the 14th Amendment provides that State officials who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or given aid and comfort to its enemies are disqualified from serving as Electors. This prohibition relates to the post-Civil War era.
Each state’s Certificates of Ascertainment confirms the names of its appointed electors. A state’s certification of its electors is generally sufficient to establish the qualifications of electors.
Who selects the Electors? The process for selecting Electors varies throughout the United States. Generally, the political parties nominate Electors at their State party conventions or by a vote of the party’s central committee in each State. Each candidate will have their own unique slate of potential Electors as a result of this part of the selection process.
Electors are often chosen to recognize service and dedication to their political party. They may be State-elected officials, party leaders, or persons who have a personal or political affiliation with the Presidential candidate.
On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors. In Nebraska and Maine, the state winner receives two Electors and the winner of each congressional district receives one Elector. This system permits the Electors from Nebraska and Maine to be awarded to more than one candidate.
Are there restrictions on who the Electors can vote for? There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires Electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their States. Some States, however, require Electors to cast their votes according to the popular vote. These pledges fall into two categories—Electors bound by State law and those bound by pledges to political parties.
The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Constitution does not require that Electors be completely free to act as they choose and therefore, political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the parties’ nominees. Some State laws provide that so-called "faithless Electors"; may be subject to fines or may be disqualified for casting an invalid vote and be replaced by a substitute elector. The Supreme Court has not specifically ruled on the question of whether pledges and penalties for failure to vote as pledged may be enforced under the Constitution. No Elector has ever been prosecuted for failing to vote as pledged.
Today, it is rare for Electors to disregard the popular vote by casting their electoral vote for someone other than their party’s candidate. Electors generally hold a leadership position in their party or were chosen to recognize years of loyal service to the party. Throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of Electors have voted as pledged.
List of State Laws and Requirements Regarding the Electors as of November 2000
Source: Congressional Research Service
The Office of the Federal Register presents this material for informational purposes only, in response to numerous public inquiries. The list has no legal significance. It is based on information compiled by the Congressional Research Service. For more comprehensive information, refer to the U.S. Constitution and applicable Federal laws.
Legal Requirements or Pledges Electors in these States are bound by State Law or by pledges to cast their vote for a specific candidate:
ALABAMA – Party Pledge / State Law – § ALASKA – Party Pledge / State Law – § ; CALIFORNIA – State Law – § COLORADO – State Law – § CONNECTICUT – State Law – § DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – DC Pledge / DC Law – § (g) FLORIDA – Party Pledge / State Law – § (1) HAWAII – State Law – §§ to MAINE – State Law – § 805 MARYLAND – State Law – § MASSACHUSETTS – Party Pledge / State Law – Ch. 53, § 8, Supp. MICHIGAN – State Law – § (Violation cancels vote and Elector is replaced.) MISSISSIPPI – Party Pledge / State Law – § (3) MONTANA – State Law – § NEBRASKA – State Law – § NEVADA – State Law – § NEW MEXICO – State Law – § to (Violation is a fourth degree felony.) NORTH CAROLINA – State Law – § (Violation cancels vote; elector is replaced and is subject to $500 fine.) OHIO – State Law – § OKLAHOMA – State Pledge / State Law – 26, §§ ; (Violation of oath is a misdemeanor, carrying a fine of up to $1000.) OREGON – State Pledge / State Law – § SOUTH CAROLINA – State Pledge / State Law – § (Replacement and criminal sanctions for violation.) VERMONT – State Law – title 17, § * VIRGINIA – State Law – § (Virginia statute may be advisory – “Shall be expected” to vote for nominees.) WASHINGTON – Party Pledge / State Law – §§ , , Supp. ($1000 fine.) WISCONSIN – State Law – § WYOMING – State Law – §§ ;
No Legal Requirement Electors in these States are not bound by State Law to cast their vote for a specific candidate:
ARIZONA ARKANSAS DELAWARE GEORGIA IDAHO ILLINOIS INDIANA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MINNESOTA
MISSOURI NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY NEW YORK NORTH DAKOTA PENNSYLVANIA RHODE ISLAND SOUTH DAKOTA TENNESSEE TEXAS UTAH WEST VIRGINIA

5. The winning candidate in each state (except Nebraska and Maine) is awarded all the state’s electors
In nebraska and maine, the state winner receives two electors and the winner of each congressional district receives one elector. This proportional distribution system means the electors from Nebraska and Maine may be awarded to more than one candidate.
The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You help choose your state’s electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate’s electors.
Most states have a “winner-take-all” system that awards all electors to the winning presidential candidate. However, Maine and Nebraska each have a variation of “proportional representation.” Read more about the allocation of Electors among the states and try to predict the outcome of the Electoral College vote.
After the presidential election, your governor prepares a “Certificate of Ascertainment” listing all of the candidates who ran for President in your state along with the names of their respective electors. The Certificate of Ascertainment also declares the winning presidential candidate in your state and shows which electors will represent your state at the meeting of the electors in December of the election year. Your state’s Certificates of Ascertainments are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2012 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials, the Office of the Federal Register and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Congress in the Electoral College process.

6. No constitutional provision or federal law requires electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their states
There are some state restrictions/punishments, however
Throughout history, more than 99% of electors have voted as pledged
Are there restrictions on who the Electors can vote for? There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires Electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their States. Some States, however, require Electors to cast their votes according to the popular vote. These pledges fall into two categories—Electors bound by State law and those bound by pledges to political parties.
The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Constitution does not require that Electors be completely free to act as they choose and therefore, political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the parties’ nominees. Some State laws provide that so-called "faithless Electors"; may be subject to fines or may be disqualified for casting an invalid vote and be replaced by a substitute elector. The Supreme Court has not specifically ruled on the question of whether pledges and penalties for failure to vote as pledged may be enforced under the Constitution. No Elector has ever been prosecuted for failing to vote as pledged.
Today, it is rare for Electors to disregard the popular vote by casting their electoral vote for someone other than their party’s candidate. Electors generally hold a leadership position in their party or were chosen to recognize years of loyal service to the party. Throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of Electors have voted as pledged.
List of State Laws and Requirements Regarding the Electors as of November 2000
Source: Congressional Research Service
The Office of the Federal Register presents this material for informational purposes only, in response to numerous public inquiries. The list has no legal significance. It is based on information compiled by the Congressional Research Service. For more comprehensive information, refer to the U.S. Constitution and applicable Federal laws.
Legal Requirements or Pledges Electors in these States are bound by State Law or by pledges to cast their vote for a specific candidate:
ALABAMA – Party Pledge / State Law – § ALASKA – Party Pledge / State Law – § ; CALIFORNIA – State Law – § COLORADO – State Law – § CONNECTICUT – State Law – § DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – DC Pledge / DC Law – § (g) FLORIDA – Party Pledge / State Law – § (1) HAWAII – State Law – §§ to MAINE – State Law – § 805 MARYLAND – State Law – § MASSACHUSETTS – Party Pledge / State Law – Ch. 53, § 8, Supp. MICHIGAN – State Law – § (Violation cancels vote and Elector is replaced.) MISSISSIPPI – Party Pledge / State Law – § (3) MONTANA – State Law – § NEBRASKA – State Law – § NEVADA – State Law – § NEW MEXICO – State Law – § to (Violation is a fourth degree felony.) NORTH CAROLINA – State Law – § (Violation cancels vote; elector is replaced and is subject to $500 fine.) OHIO – State Law – § OKLAHOMA – State Pledge / State Law – 26, §§ ; (Violation of oath is a misdemeanor, carrying a fine of up to $1000.) OREGON – State Pledge / State Law – § SOUTH CAROLINA – State Pledge / State Law – § (Replacement and criminal sanctions for violation.) VERMONT – State Law – title 17, § * VIRGINIA – State Law – § (Virginia statute may be advisory – “Shall be expected” to vote for nominees.) WASHINGTON – Party Pledge / State Law – §§ , , Supp. ($1000 fine.) WISCONSIN – State Law – § WYOMING – State Law – §§ ;
No Legal Requirement Electors in these States are not bound by State Law to cast their vote for a specific candidate:
ARIZONA ARKANSAS DELAWARE GEORGIA IDAHO ILLINOIS INDIANA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MINNESOTA
MISSOURI NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY NEW YORK NORTH DAKOTA PENNSYLVANIA RHODE ISLAND SOUTH DAKOTA TENNESSEE TEXAS UTAH WEST VIRGINIA

7. After the presidential election, each state governor prepares a “Certificate of Ascertainment” listing the winning presidential candidate and the electors that will represent the state
Certificates are sent to Congress and National Archives
After the presidential election, your governor prepares a “Certificate of Ascertainment” listing all of the candidates who ran for President in your state along with the names of their respective electors. The Certificate of Ascertainment also declares the winning presidential candidate in your state and shows which electors will represent your state at the meeting of the electors in December of the election year. Your state’s Certificates of Ascertainments are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2012 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials, the Office of the Federal Register and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Congress in the Electoral College process.
The meeting of the electors takes place on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election. The electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. Your state’s electors’ votes are recorded on a “Certificate of Vote,” which is prepared at the meeting by the electors. Your state’s Certificates of Votes are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2012 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials and the Congress in the Electoral College process.
Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. (On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed Pub.L , as passed by both houses of Congress, moving the day of the vote count from January 6, 2013 (a Sunday) to January 4, 2013.) See the key dates for the 2012 election and information about the role and responsibilities of Congress in the Electoral College process.
The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.
The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election

9. Electors meet the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election in their respective states
They cast their votes for president and vice president
The state’s electors’ votes are recorded on a “certificate of vote” which is prepared at the meeting by the electors
They are sent to the congress and national archives as part of the official records of the election
Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress
Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. (On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed Pub.L , as passed by both houses of Congress, moving the day of the vote count from January 6, 2013 (a Sunday) to January 4, 2013.) See the key dates for the 2012 election and information about the role and responsibilities of Congress in the Electoral College process.
The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.
The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election.
The meeting of the electors takes place on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election. The electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. Your state’s electors’ votes are recorded on a “Certificate of Vote,” which is prepared at the meeting by the electors. Your state’s Certificates of Votes are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2012 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials and the Congress in the Electoral College process.

10. Early January of the year following the electors meeting, Congress officially counts the electoral votes
The Vice President (as President of the Senate) formally announces the vote
New President is elected January 20th
(On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed Pub.L , as passed by both houses of Congress, moving the day of the vote count from January 6, 2013 (a Sunday) to January 4, 2013.)
Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. (On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed Pub.L , as passed by both houses of Congress, moving the day of the vote count from January 6, 2013 (a Sunday) to January 4, 2013.) See the key dates for the 2012 election and information about the role and responsibilities of Congress in the Electoral College process.
The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.
The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election

11. Why This System?
1. It puts a buffer between the population and the selection of a President
Founding Fathers were afraid of manipulation of public opinion
Hamilton and the other founders believed that the electors would be able to insure that only a qualified person becomes President. They believed that with the Electoral College no one would be able to manipulate the citizenry. It would act as check on an electorate that might be duped. Hamilton and the other founders did not trust the population to make the right choice. The founders also believed that the Electoral College had the advantage of being a group that met only once and thus could not be manipulated over time by foreign governments or others.
The Electoral College was created for two reasons. The first purpose was to create a buffer between population and the selection of a President. The second as part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller states. The first reason that the founders created the Electoral College is hard to understand today. The founding fathers were afraid of direct election to the Presidency. They feared a tyrant could manipulate public opinion and come to power. Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers: It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations. It was also peculiarly desirable to afford as little opportunity as possible to tumult and disorder. This evil was not least to be dreaded in the election of a magistrate, who was to have so important an agency in the administration of the government as the President of the United States. But the precautions which have been so happily concerted in the system under consideration, promise an effectual security against this mischief.
(See All of the Federalist 68)
The electoral college is also part of compromises made at the convention to satisfy the small states. Under the system of the Electoral College each state had the same number of electoral votes as they have representative in Congress, thus no state could have less then 3. The result of this system is that in this election the state of Wyoming cast about 210,000 votes, and thus each elector represented 70,000 votes, while in California approximately 9,700,000 votes were cast for 54 votes, thus representing 179,000 votes per electorate. Obviously this creates an unfair advantage to voters in the small states whose votes actually count more then those people living in medium and large states. One aspect of the electoral system that is not mandated in the constitution is the fact that the winner takes all the votes in the state. Therefore it makes no difference if you win a state by 50.1% or by 80% of the vote you receive the same number of electoral votes. This can be a recipe for one individual to win some states by large pluralities and lose others by small number of votes, and thus this is an easy scenario for one candidate winning the popular vote while another winning the electoral vote. This winner take all methods used in picking electors has been decided by the states themselves. This trend took place over the course of the 19th century.
While there are clear problems with the Electoral College and there are some advantages to it, changing it is very unlikely. It would take a constituitional amendment ratified by 3/4 of states to change the system. It is hard to imagine the smaller states agreeing. One way of modifying the system s to eliminate the winner take all part of it. The method that the states vote for the electoral college is not mandated by the consitution but is decided by the states. Two states do not use the winner take all system, Maine and Nebraska. It would be difficult but not impossible to get other states to change their systems, unfortunately the party that has the advantage in the state is unlikely to agree to a unilateral change.
In 1787, two things forever changed the face of American politics: First, a group of national leaders drafted the U.S. Constitution, and second, they decided the average citizen wasn't erudite enough to elect a president without the bridge of a system known as the Electoral College.
The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process. At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless and would give too much voting power to highly populated areas in which people were familiar with a presidential candidate. Others objected to the possibility of letting Congress select the president, as some suggested. The answer? An Electoral College system that allowed voters to vote for electors, who would then cast their votes for candidates, a system described in Article II, section 1 of the Constitution [source: Weingast].
The concept worked as expected until the 1800 election, when presidential hopefuls Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson each received the same amount of electoral votes. By then, political parties had become powerful influencers. Leaders of each party handpicked electors who, naturally, voted for their electing party's candidates. The tie was broken by the House of Representatives, but resulted in the Constitution's 12th Amendment, which spelled out the electoral voting process in more detail [source: Cornell University Law School].
Today, each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. senators (two in each state) plus the number of its U.S. representatives, which varies according to the state's population. For example, Kansas has two senators and four U.S. representatives for a total of six electoral votes.
Overall, the Electoral College includes 538 electors, 535 for the total number of congressional members, and three who represent Washington, D.C., as allowed by the 23rd Amendment. In the 2012 presidential election, highly populated California had the most sway with 55 electoral votes; other less populated states, such as Montana, had as few as three electoral votes [source: CNN].
On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, the electors meet in their respective state capitals to officially cast their votes for president and vice president. These votes are then sealed and sent to the president of the Senate, who on Jan. 6 opens and reads the votes before both houses of Congress. The winner is sworn into office at noon Jan. 20 [source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration].

12. 2. It is a compromise made by early Founders to satisfy the smaller states
Each state has the same number of electoral votes as they have representatives in Congress
Under the system of the Electoral College each state had the same number of electoral votes as they have representative in Congress, thus no state could have less then 3. The result of this system is that in this election the state of Wyoming cast about 210,000 votes, and thus each elector represented 70,000 votes, while in California approximately 9,700,000 votes were cast for 54 votes, thus representing 179,000 votes per electorate. Obviously this creates an unfair advantage to voters in the small states whose votes actually count more then those people living in medium and large states. One aspect of the electoral system that is not mandated in the constitution is the fact that the winner takes all the votes in the state. Therefore it makes no difference if you win a state by 50.1% or by 80% of the vote you receive the same number of electoral votes. This can be a recipe for one individual to win some states by large pluralities and lose others by small number of votes, and thus this is an easy scenario for one candidate winning the popular vote while another winning the electoral vote. This winner take all methods used in picking electors has been decided by the states themselves. This trend took place over the course of the 19th century.
Let's look at the numbers in more detail, since people get confused with why the Electoral College empowers small states less than the Senate does. In my analysis on I compare how many people one Elector represents in the smallest state (population-wise) and the largest state (I updated the numbers for newer census numbers) - Wyoming gets 3 votes in the Electoral College (2 Senators plus one Rep) - Wyoming's population is 501,000 - So Wyoming get one Electoral vote per 167,000 people. (501,000 / 3). - California has 55 Electoral votes (2 Senators plus 53 Reps) - California's population is 35.5 million. - So California gets one Electoral vote per 645,000 people. (35.5 million / 55). - Comparing the Electoral votes per person, Wyoming's people get almost 4 times as much representation as do Californians in the Electoral College Now let's do the same numbers for the Senate: - Wyoming gets 2 votes in the Senate - So Wyoming get one Senate vote per 251,000 people. (501,000 / 2). - California gets 2 votes in the Senate - So California gets one Senate vote per 1,780,000 people. (35.5 million / 2). - Comparing the Senate votes per person, Wyoming's people get over 7 times as much representation as do Californians in the Senate. So, sorry to Gore supporters and about.com - the Electoral College worked as intended in If you don't like the way it worked, you CAN work to change it - see for how....

13. Changing the Electoral College system would take a constitutional amendment ratified by ¾ of the states
It is possible in the future, that there could be a change to the “winner take all” mentality 48 states follow

14. Close Elections 1800 (John Adams v. Thomas Jefferson)
1824 (John Q. Adams v. Andrew Jackson)
1876 (Rutherford Hayes v. Samuel Tilden)
1888 (Grover Cleveland v. Benjamin
Harrison)
1960 (Richard Nixon v. John F. Kennedy)
2000 (Al Gore and George Bush)
Cleveland and Harrison
Jefferson and Adams
Kennedy and Nixon
Bush and Gore
The closest election in US history began with a night of errors for the major networks. The first error occurred when they declared that the State of Florida was won by Al Gore. That victory it seemed made an electoral victory by George Bush unlikely. As the night went on the networks retracted their call and placed Florida in the undecided camp. Later in the night it became clear that the Florida decision would determine the elections. A little after 2 AM Eastern Time the networks made their next mistake, declaring the State of Florida for George Bush. That declaration set in motion a concession phone call by Gore to Bush. As Gore was about the make his concession speech, word reached him that the State of Florida was indeed to close to call. Gore called Bush back and recanted his concession and the recount stage of the Florida election was on. Most Americans went to sleep believing that Bush had won, they woke up to learn that the election had not been decided: it would not be for another month.
The Chronology
November 7th- Election Day November 8th Early morning decision first in Bush's favor and then too close to count November 9th- Results from Florida show George Bush lead to be 1,784- thus automatically triggering a machine recount November 10th First recount shows George Bush ahead by 327 without counting absentee ballots. The Democrats request manual recounts in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Voulusia Counties November 11th- Palm Beach announces it will recount- Bush goes to federal court to bar the recount. November 12th- Volusia County begins recount. Democrats announce suit to filed in Seminole County against Republican absentee ballots November 13th- Federal court refuses to stop recount.- Florida election official announce that they will certify the election the next day- with the exception of absentee ballots- Democrats appeal decision- November 14th - District Court upholds the deadline but states further recounts can continue and may be included. State Secretary of State certifies results with a 300 Bush lead. November 15th- Broward County goes ahead with manual recount- Secretary of State Harrison refuses to accept additional votes based on recount November 16th State Supreme Courts says manual recount can continue, but lower court must decide if the secretary of state must include them November 17th Judge Terry Lewis says Harris can certify results, but the State Supreme Court puts a hold and that decision November 18th Overseas ballots are counted Bush lead now 930 votes November 20th- Arguments before Florida high court. November 21st- Florida High Court rules that recount can continue and should be certified on November 26th at 3PM November 22nd George Bush appeals to the US Supreme Court to stop the recount November 23rd Miami-Dade recount seems to come to an end November 26th Secretary of State Harris certifies Bush victory at 537 votes- without recount of Palm Beach, which is late and Miami- Dade that decides not to recount November 27th- Gore officially contests the results the results December 1- US Supreme Court hears arguments on the earlier extension of the date for recounts by Florida December 2nd Contest trail begins before Jude N Sander Sauls. December 4th The US Supreme Court orders clarification of earlier Florida Supreme Court decision December 5th Judge Sauls rules against Gore December 6th Gore appeals to Florida Supreme Court December 7th Oral arguments before Florida Supreme Court December 8th Florida Supreme Court orders manual recount in all of state where no votes were recorded December 9th US Supreme Court halts counting before hearing appeal December 10th Lawyers file briefs before Supreme Court December 11th Oral arguments before the court December 12th At 10 PM at night the Supreme Court rules that no further recounts can take place December 13th- Gore concedes.