Has Anyone Else Heard This?

the site or channel?

this sounds bogus either way.

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"Everyone I know has a big but...

come on Simone, let's talk about your but."

 

It could very well be legal. It truly is up to the states how they divvy up their electoral votes. There are even two states (Maine is one of them, I believe) that awards their electoral votes based on Congressional District (with the candidate who gets more Congressional Districts taking the two extra electoral votes). As long as Florida law itself doesn't specifically prevent such a thing (and the law reportedly gives Florida judges wide latitude in solutions to election "problems"), I don't know where the legal problem would be.

Of course, depending on how the New Mexico recount goes (and any other recounts that may be undertaken), such a decision might just end up throwing the election to the House of Representatives. (Since it would easily be possible that a candidate wouldn't get the requisite 270 electoral votes).

With New Mexico currently out, splitting Florida isn half would give Gore 267.5 electoral votes and Bush 258.5. If the recount in New Mexico continued to favor Gore (and no other states ended up switching sides after recounts), then Gore would be President, but if the recount in NM came out in favor of Bush, neither would have a majority.

I'm actually sort of rooting for the election to end up in the House. I just think it'd be cool to see it happen just once.

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Houston Sports Board
The Anti-Bud Adams Page

 

There is another.

That gave you goosebumps eh paige? Don't forget OR is supposed to announce it's tally within the next five months.

 

Goosebumps. Yep. Sure did.

I had forgotten about Oregon. It was colored in for Gore on something I saw recently, so I just assumed it was all over there, but when I mentioned the electoral totals, I used the CNN numbers which rightfully don't include Oregon.

And the way it sounds, five months might be optimistic in regards to getting a total in Oregon.

And just think, if Florida ends up going against Bush, we can look forward to recounts in Iowa and Wisconsin. Yippee! By the time this election gets sorted out, it's going to be time to vote again.

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Houston Sports Board
The Anti-Bud Adams Page

 

Remember, the constitution says the MAJORITY of electoral votes cast, there is nothing in there about the number 270. A candidate only has to have the majority. Since these types of scenarios were not anticipated, the only number you hear is 270. For instance, If Nader won Florida, Gore would be president even though he would not have 270 electoral votes.

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Again, that is up to the Supreme Court to decide. They have never had to interpret the 12th Amendment before. There are a good number of Constitutional Scholars who say that the majority required is still 270 because those votes exist whether they are cast or not.

You or I can insist that we know what the Constitution says, but there is disagreement among people who have studied the issue. The opinion of the Supreme Court is the only opinion that will matter in the end. Right now, we cannot say one way or another what their interpretation of the 12th Amendment is.



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Houston Sports Board
The Anti-Bud Adams Page

 

You make a good point. I missed the following:

The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President.

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