US Florida Supreme Court Rules in Bush's FavorThe US Florida Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, December 12, that 25,000 absentee ballots challenged in two Florida counties should count in the state's contested presidential election.The ruling rejected Democrats' claims that 25,000 absentee ballots from Seminole and Martin counties should be voided because application forms used to obtain the ballots were altered by Republican operatives. The justices upheld the rulings of two state judges, both of whom had said the ballots should count even though local election officials had permitted Republican party activists to add information to their absentee ballot applications. The Florida Supreme Court agreed with a trial court and therefore rejected the appeal, a decision which left Bush's lead over Democrat Al Gore in the state intact. |
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