Florida Recount Chronology

Here's a chronoloy of key events in the battle for Florida's crucial 25 electoral votes:

Nov. 8: The networks project that Texas Gov. George W. Bush won Florida, and consequently the White House. Vice President Al Gore telephones him to concede at about 3 a.m. EST, only to retract the call about an hour later because Bush's slim margin of victory in Florida triggers an automatic recount.

Nov. 9: Gore campaign chairman William Daley says Gore will seek a hand recount of the ballots cast in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Broward and Volusia counties about 1.8 million votes.

Nov. 11: Bush's attorneys file suit in U.S. District Court to block Gore's request for manual recounts.

Nov. 13: A Miami federal judge rejects Bush's request for an order barring hand recounts; Bush later appeals. The Volusia County Canvassing Board sues to extend the state's Nov. 14 deadline for counties to submit election returns to Secretary of State Katherine Harris.

Nov. 17: Florida Supreme Court prohibits Harris from certifying results as she had planned to do Nov. 18 until further notice. An Atlanta federal appeals court refuses to block manual recounts in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Local Democrats sue the Seminole County Canvassing Board in state court over disputed absentee ballot applications.

Nov. 21: Florida Supreme Court rules that manual recounts may continue and that those votes must be included in the final tally. Court sets as deadline for certifying the election Nov. 26, a Sunday, or early Nov. 27.

Nov. 24: U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear Bush's appeal on the legality the Florida Supreme Court's decision to allow recounts and extend state deadline for certification.

Nov. 26: Harris certifies election results, giving Bush a 537-vote victory over Gore.

Nov. 27: Gore contests results in Miami-Dade, Nassau and Palm Beach counties in Leon County Circuit Court.

Nov. 28: Gore and Bush file briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court. Leon County Circuit Judge N. Sanders Sauls orders about 14,000 disputed ballots from Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties brought to him in Tallahassee.

Nov. 29: Bush's legal team ask Sauls to order all 1.1 million votes cast in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade sent to the state capital.

Nov. 30: A Florida legislative committee recommends a special session to name the state's 25 representatives to the Electoral College, which elects the president.

Dec. 1: U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on Bush's appeal regarding recount deadline. Local Democrats file lawsuit accusing the Martin County Canvassing Board of mishandling absentee ballot applications. Florida Supreme Court refuses Gore's appeal to immediately start recounting ballots in his election challenge.

Dec. 2-3: Sauls holds trial on Gore's election challenge.

Dec. 4: U.S. Supreme Court returns for clarification the Florida Supreme Court's decision n recount deadlines. Sauls rejects Gore's election challenge.

Dec. 5: U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta holds a hearing on Bush's request to stop manual recounts, which earlier was rejected by the U.S. District Court.

Dec. 6: Separate trials on the Martin and Seminole county absentee ballot cases begin in Leon County Circuit Court. Florida's Republican legislative leaders call for special session to consider whether to appoint state's electors.

Dec. 7: Florida Supreme Court hears Gore's appeal of Sauls' decision rejecting Gore's election challenge. Trials in Seminole and Martin county cases conclude.

Dec. 8: The Florida Supreme Court orders manual recounts to begin in Gore's election challenge and adds 383 votes to his total. Two Leon County Circuit Court judges refuse to throw out any of the 25,000 absentee ballots challenged in Martin and Seminole counties. The Florida Legislature meets in special session and adjourns with plans to convene again on Dec. 12.

Dec. 9: Just hours after several Florida counties started the court mandated hand recounts, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Bush's plea to halt them temporarily pending a hearing on his challenge to the recounts. All counting stops.

Dec. 11: U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments from lawyers for Bush and Gore.

Dec. 12: Deadline for Florida to certify its 25 electors.

Dec. 18: Electoral College representatives meet in state capitals nationwide to select the next president.

Jan. 5, tentatively: Joint session of Congress officially tallies Electoral College results, which require a majority in the House and Senate for approval.

Jan. 20: Inauguration Day.

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