The presidential election could wind up with a head-on collision between the supposed will of Florida's voters and a federal statutory deadline. The Florida Supreme Court has given three counties until Sunday evening or perhaps Monday morning to complete and file their hand recounts. Login and read it on lexisONE .
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At that point, if Florida's Secretary of State certifies the results, the losing candidate could contest the election under a specific Florida election law, Section 102.168. There are statutory provisions for how long each party may have to file their relevant court papers. December 12 is six days before the Electoral College meets, the deadline for each state to resolve any controversies and appoint electors according to Title 3 of the U.S. code. See Title 3 of the U.S. Code. If the deadline is missed and Florida has no official electors to represent it, it is possible that the state could be excluded from choosing the next president.