Palm Beach County Canvassing Board v. Harris (Harris I)

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Palm Beach County Canvassing Board v. Harris(Harris I) was a lawsuit pertaining to the 2000 United States presidential election. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Lawsuit

There were two main issues:

Regarding the first issue, the court ruled that, while Harris was generally entitled to deference in her interpretation of state laws, in this case the interpretation "contravene[d] the plain meaning" of the phrase "error in the vote tabulation" and so must be overturned.

Regarding the second issue, the court ruled that the statutory scheme must be interpreted in light of the Florida state constitution's declaration that "all political power is inherent in the people," with any ambiguities therefore construed "liberally." Preventing the canvassing boards from continuing to conduct recounts beyond the seven-day timeframe (specified in the law, but with ambiguity as to how firm it was intended to be), would "summarily disenfranchise innocent electors [voters]" and could not be allowed unless the recounts continued for so long as to "compromise the integrity of the electoral process." The court ordered counties to submit returns by November 26, until which time the stay of certification would stand. [5]

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References

  1. "PALM BEACH COUNTY CANVASSING BOARD v. HARRIS". Findlaw. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  2. "Palm Beach County Canvassing Board v. Harris". Election 2000. Robert Crown Law Library, Stanford Law School. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  3. "The 2000 Presidential Election". History on the Net. July 19, 2012. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  4. "SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY CANVASSING BOARD, FOLLOWING REMAND FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES" (PDF). Florida Supreme Court. State of Florida. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  5. "The Lawyers' Role in Selecting the President: A Complete Legal History of the 2000 Election". Texas A&M Law Scholarship. Texas A&M University School of Law. Retrieved 2020-01-25.