Trials completed in Seminole and Martin county cases. Two Leon County Circuit Court judges refuse to throw out any of the 25,000 absentee ballots challenged in Martin and Seminole counties. A divided Florida Supreme Court orders manual recounts to begin in Gore's election challenge and adds 383 votes to his total. The Florida Legislature meets in special session and adjourns with plans to convene again on Dec. 12. The Bush campaign appeals to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta and the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the manual recounts.
Manual counts resume in the morning.
The 11th Circuit refuses to take up the case. A bare majority of the U.S. Supreme Court rules to halt manual recounts pending Dec. 11 arguments. Hand counts cease late in the afternoon, pending the Dec. 11 Supreme Court hearing. D.C. The ballots stay behind. Lawyers for both the Bush and Gore campaigns argue before the U.S. Supreme Court.