Supreme Court halts Florida recount in Bush v. Gore, with overseas absentee ballots at the center of the dispute

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to halt the Florida presidential recount in Bush v. Gore, ending a 36-day post-election crisis in which overseas and mail-in absentee ballots were the decisive battleground. Republican attorneys challenged thousands of overseas absentee ballots postmarked after Election Day, while Democratic attorneys challenged others for missing witness signatures. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris ultimately certified George W. Bush the winner by 537 votes — a margin smaller than the number of disputed absentee ballots.