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Florida recounts votes county by county as candidates wait

State to resume process Thursday morning

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Florida on Wednesday began a judicious process of recounting every presidential ballot cast statewide, as Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush cautiously predicted the recount would bring him the victory he tasted for just a few short moments on Election Night.

  WEB EXCLUSIVE
On the scene with CNN's
John Zarrella in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

His Democratic rival, Vice President Al Gore, urged "respect for the rule of law" in a brief statement Wednesday afternoon as Florida officials began carefully counting ballots once again.

"We now need to resolve this election in a way that is fair and forthright, and in a way that is fully consistent with the Constitution and our laws," Gore said. "Because of what is at stake, this matter must be resolved expeditiously, but deliberately and without any rush to judgment."

Gore
Vice President Al Gore: "We now need to resolve this election in a way that is fair and forthright."  

Bush, the Texas governor, was thought to hold a narrow lead over Gore in Florida. Because the vote count was so close, Florida's election officials, by law, enacted a mandatory recount Wednesday. The recount must be completed by the end of the business day Thursday.

"Because of the closeness of the presidential election, an automatic recount as provided by law is currently under way," Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the Republican presidential hopeful's younger brother, told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

Though the recount could be completed by late tomorrow, it must then be certified, and that process could take some seven days. Should the overseas ballots need to be factored in, the certification process could last 10 days.

"We thought it would be close. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would be this close," Jeb Bush said. "I have the greatest confidence in the independently elected bipartisan group of county supervisors of elections that exist all across our state."

Gore amd Bush

Nineteen Florida counties reported the first recount results late Wednesday afternoon, accounting for 2,909,465 votes for Bush -- a gain of 205 votes over previously estimated levels -- and 2,907,722 for Gore, gaining him 238 votes.

The recount was suspended for the night at just before 6 p.m. Wednesday. The process will resume Thursday morning.

Some 48 counties have yet to report their recount results. The Florida secretary of state's office has predicted the count could be completed by 5 or 6 p.m. EST on Thursday.

Bush stays patient

"This morning brings news from Florida that the final vote count there shows that Secretary (Dick) Cheney and I have carried the state of Florida," a reserved George W. Bush told reporters Wednesday afternoon in Austin, Texas. "And if that result is confirmed by an automatic recount as we expect it to be, then we have won the election."

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Vice President Al Gore talks about the need to resolve the election results but cautions against a rush to judgment (November 8)

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Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks on the ballot recount and addresses concerns about the possibility of fraud (November 8)

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Statements from Bush and Cheney about the recount (November 8)

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"We have to make sure the outcome is finalized as quickly as possible," he said, adding that the situation reflects on the "strength of our democracy."

Bush promised that he would work hard to gain the confidence of Gore voters.

The Electoral College and ultimate victory for either Gore or Bush is at stake. Gore looks to have won the popular vote, but either could be launched into the presidency with the award of Florida's outstanding 25 electoral votes.

Without a decision in Florida, Gore led the projected tally in the Electoral College by 14 votes, 260 to 246. The minimum requirement for an Electoral College win is 270 votes. The only other state to have not yet projected winner is Oregon, which holds seven electoral votes.

Gore has a 1 percent lead over Bush in the national popular vote, 49 percent to 48 percent.

The Committee for the Study of the American Electorate estimated 52 to 53 percent of the eligible voters cast ballots. That number was about 55 percent in 1992. Turnout in 1996 was 49.08 percent, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Clinton: Right to vote not to be taken lightly

In Washington, President Clinton, newly returned from New York after first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's victory in that state's Senate race, said the continually unfolding events surrounding this year's presidential election should quash any notion that individual votes are not significant.

"If ever there was a doubt about the importance of exercising democracy's most fundamental right, the right to vote, yesterday put it to rest," Clinton said after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House.

The American people have spoken," he added. "It's too bad it's going to take a little while to determine what it was they had to say."

The president said he and Gore spoke after the vice president retracted his one-on-one concession to Bush. He did not give much detail about the contents of that conversation.

"I talked to him (after the phone call)," Clinton said. "He was pleased that he was getting the popular vote, and we had a very good talk. He congratulated Hillary."

Both candidates spent much of Wednesday at their homes -- Gore in Carthage, Tennessee, and Bush in Austin, Texas. Earlier Wednesday, Bush met with his senior staff and his vice presidential running mate, Dick Cheney. Bush aide Joe Allbaugh said Bush was "in a good mood. He is confident he is going to be the next president."

The Bush campaign told CNN on Wednesday that Bush advisers expect the governor to be declared the next president, despite the close election results and the recount.

"We hope and believe we have elected the next president of the United States," said Bush campaign chairman Don Evans. "They're still counting and I'm confident, when it's all said and done, we will prevail."

A Gore campaign spokesman said his side believes enough votes remain uncounted to bring victory to the Democratic ticket.

"He got the most votes across the length and breadth of this country, so we are very proud of him," said Gore Communications Director Mark Fabiani.

Should the Florida recount tilt toward Bush, Gore campaign chairman William Daley said Wednesday that, "Vice President Gore and Sen. (Joe) Lieberman are fully prepared to concede and to support Governor Bush if and when he is officially elected president."

The Florida process

Officials in Florida said all the precinct ballots and all the absentee ballots had been counted in all 67 counties, with the major exception of overseas absentee ballots. Now all the votes will be recounted by supervisors from all counties, with representatives from the news media and both candidates present.

The Bush campaign was to be represented by former Secretary of State James Baker, while another former secretary of state, Warren Christopher, was to act as a legal advisor to the Gore campaign.

"Our purpose is clear," Christopher said Wednesday in Nashville. "We want to make sure that the process is fair, accurate, and that we resolve it in a timely way."

"We don't intend to provoke a constitutional crisis," Christopher added.

State election officials said either the number of overseas absentee ballots or a change as a result of the recount could tip the election for Bush or for Gore.

State officials said that some 30,000 overseas ballots were mailed out prior to Election Day, but it was unclear how many had been returned. The ballots would have to have been postmarked November 7 to be considered legitimate.

Under Florida law, the state Elections Canvassing Commission is to certify the count. Bush's brother Jeb, the Florida governor, said Wednesday he would recuse himself of his duties on the commission, to avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest.

Gore: 'You don't have to get 'snippy'

Some of the content of the second post-election telephone exchange between Bush and Gore was confirmed Wednesday by aides to both men. The vice president telephoned Bush Wednesday morning to retract his earlier words of concession, which he delivered to Bush when most major news organizations declared Bush the winner.

Bush was reportedly not pleased to take the second call.

"Let me make sure I understand," protested Bush, his victory speech in hand. "You're calling me back to retract your concession?"

"You don't have to get snippy about this," Gore protested.

"Let me explain something," Gore continued. "Your younger brother is not the ultimate authority on this."

Jeb Bush had reportedly assured the Texas governor in the wee hours of Wednesday morning that Florida was a done deal.

Asked about the call Wednesday, Bush said, "I was fully prepared to give a (victory) speech. Then he withdrew his comments, and here we sit."

Buchanan, ballot box controversies

In a separate controversy, Palm Beach County voters complained that their punch card ballots had the names of presidential candidates on two pages instead of one. The voters said it led to confusion and they may have voted for Reform Party candidate Patrick Buchanan when they had intended to vote for Gore.

"I saw it myself with my own eyes," Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Florida, told CNN. "I talked to hundreds of people. There is no doubt there was mass confusion in Palm Beach County yesterday at the ballot box, which resulted in at least it seems about 3,000 plus votes for Pat Buchanan and I know that that's incorrect."

  RESOURCES
 

In Miami, early morning hubbub surrounding the discovery of a locked ballot box at a church was quieted in the afternoon when the box was popped open, and found to be stuffed with clerical supplies.

"We have accounted for all voted and unvoted ballots," said John Clouser, supervisor of elections for Miami-Dade County. Clouser said such boxes, despite being marked "ballot box," are often left behind in precinct locations to be picked up the next day.

They normally contain such items as telephones, handicapped signs, and envelopes, he said.

Evans
Bush campaign chairman Don Evans: "I'm confident when all is said and done, we will prevail"  

Green Party candidate Ralph Nader -- who received 2,658,281 votes -- was accused of being a spoiler for Gore by siphoning off Democratic votes. Reform Party candidate Buchanan received 443,135 votes.

Buchanan offered Nader some advice.

"I would currently advise Ralph, given the numbers that I've seen, that he may be interested in Secret Service protection when he comes in here this morning from some angry Democrats, who I'm sure are going to blame him for the defeat of Al Gore. And if he gets credit for that, more power to him," Buchanan said.

At a Wednesday news conference, Nader said he supported the Florida recount and said his candidacy proved the Green Party is "alive and well' and has been established as a legitimate third party.

CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King, CNN Correspondent Jeanne Meserve Mike Boettcher, Ian Christopher McCaleb and The Associated Press contributed to this report.



PRESIDENT
Despite recount, Bush cautiously claims victory
Speaking too soon: Incorrect projections confuse presidential outcome
Blow-by-blow account of Gore's concession -- and retraction
Clinton: 'I've got another 10 weeks to quack'


HOUSE
House narrowly stays in GOP hands
Incumbents triumph in Midwest
The East; New England
Deep South


SENATE
GOP holds on to Senate
Hillary Rodham Clinton scores historic win in New York
Web Exclusive: CNN's Frank Buckley on the Hillary victory
GOP ends 12 year losing streak in Nevada Senate race
Democrat unseats incumbent in Delaware Senate race


GOVERNORS AND STATES
Carnahan endorsee wins Missouri governorship
Races resolved
Minner was a high school dropout
Shaheen wins despite breaking custom


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