Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2000
Election in Continuation -- No Constitutional Crisis
Thomas M. Miovas, Jr.
With the late Friday ruling of the Florida Supreme Court to have
hand counts in all counties of Florida of the so called
"undervote," there is growing talk of a Constitutional crisis.
It ain't so. I suspect the U. S. Supreme Court may recognize
this, not overturn the Fl S Court ruling, and let the new U. S.
Congress settle the issue -- after January 6. There are
provisions in both the FL legislature and the U. S. Constitution
to handle this unusual situation, which is only unusual because
most Presidential elections resulting in this turmoil would have
had one of the candidates concede by now. Because the new
Congress has to decide to accept or reject the votes of the
Electoral College and how these came about, there is a
Constitutional provision that permits them to take matters into
their own hands in selecting the President (House of
Representatives) and the Vice-President (Senate), which is why
there is no Constitutional crisis.
