Questions, answers about the presidential contest

CONNIE CASS-Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) _ Some questions and answers about events in the presidential election dispute: Q: How could Al Gore still win the presidency?

Wednesday, December 6th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CONNIE CASS-Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Some questions and answers about events in the presidential election dispute:

Q: How could Al Gore still win the presidency?

A: Gore was dealt a serious setback by Leon County Circuit Judge N. Sanders Sauls' point-by-point rejection of his effort to contest the Florida election results. But Gore appealed that decision Monday to the Florida Supreme Court, which could order a hand recount of votes that Gore says would show he's the real winner. Also, Democratic lawsuits in two Republican-leaning Florida counties _ Martin and Seminole _ seek to throw out 24,000 absentee votes, more than enough to erase Bush's slim lead in the state. Because the election was so close nationally, whoever takes Florida's electors wins the presidency.

Q: When will this all be over?

Gore said he thought ``all of the current controversies will end up being resolved, one way or another, in the Florida Supreme Court.'' It's unclear how long that could take. Several Republicans have called on Gore to concede instead of awaiting more court decisions. An important deadline looms _ Dec. 12, the day set for Florida to certify its 25 electors. Other key dates: Dec. 18, when the Electoral College meets in each state to select the next president. Congress then officially tallies the Electoral College results, tentatively set for Jan. 5. The new president must be sworn in Jan. 20.

Q: What are the questions before the Florida Supreme Court?

It's hearing Gore's contest of the state's certified election results. Gore wants the Florida Supreme Court to overrule Sauls and order manual recounts of paper ballots in two heavily Democratic counties, using a liberal standard that would include ballots that were only ``dimpled,'' not punched through.

Also, the Florida Supreme Court is considering how to respond to a decision Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation's high court set aside a ruling by the Florida justices that had extended the state deadline for vote counting. In doing so, the U.S. high court requested clarification of the reasoning behind the Florida ruling, which kept Gore's challenges alive through hand recounts. It was those recounts that narrowed Bush's lead from 930 votes to 537.

Gore suggested the Seminole and Martin county cases would end up at the state's high court, too, although he isn't a party to those lawsuits.

Q: What are the Seminole and Martin county cases about?

A: Democratic lawsuits allege that Republicans mishandled absentee ballot applications in these two Republican-leaning counties. GOP officials were allowed to add information to thousands of absentee ballot applications after the ballots were submitted to county election officials. Democrats are seeking to have the 24,000 absentee ballots from those two counties thrown out. That would be more than enough to erase Bush's lead.

Q: What's before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals?

The appeals court is considering a pair of lawsuits by Bush supporters who want to throw out any election results that include the hand recounts that narrowed Bush's lead over Gore. The Republicans argue that hand recounts in selected counties unfairly give those ballots greater weight than votes counted elsewhere. They also say the standards on how to count questionable ballots were unfairly changed. Democrats say hand counting is the only way to ensure every vote is counted accurately.

Q: What's the role of the Florida Legislature in this?

The Republican House and Senate leaders in Florida have considered calling a special session of the Legislature to choose presidential electors. But both say they will now wait to see what happens in the state Supreme Court. House Speaker Tom Feeney had sought the session to ensure that Florida's electors are appointed even if court disputes linger past the Dec. 12 deadline.

Q: What happens next?

A: The state Supreme Court set a deadline of noon Wednesday for written briefs and scheduled oral arguments Thursday morning in what may be Gore's final bid to reverse Bush's victory. Separate trials were set to begin Wednesday in the Democratic lawsuits in Seminole and Martin counties.

Also, a federal judge will hold a hearing in Tallahassee on Wednesday in a voters' challenge to 1,500 questionable overseas military ballots that were counted; meanwhile a GOP court effort seeks to count other military ballots that were rejected.