First, Pennsylvania has to allow the time for court challenges to proceed. Then they have to allow time for appeals. However, they have to get all of this done before the Electoral College safe harbor date, or Pennsylvania will not participate in the Electoral College.
- November 7, 2000 - Election Day
- November 14, 2000 - Deadline for certifying the election.
- November 15, 2000
- Broward and Dade counties ignore deadline and continue manual recounting.
- Florida state Supreme Court denies petitions to stop recounts after deadline.
- Florida Secretary of State announces she will not include further returns from the counties.
- November 16, 2000
- Gore campaign files a challenge to the certified results.
- Florida Supreme Court allows West Palm Beach to continue manual recounts.
- November 17, 2000 - Florida Supreme Court bars Secretary of State from certifying the election "until further order of the court."
- November 20, 2000 - Florida Supreme Court hears arguments regarding inclusion of hand-recounted ballots.
- November 21, 2000 - Florida Supreme Court rules manual recounts can continue.
- November 22, 2000 - Bush campaign files in federal court for review of Florida Supreme Court ruling.
- November 23, 2000 - Gore campaign files in Florida Supreme Court to force Dade county to continue recounts. Court denies request.
- November 24, 2000 - US Supreme Court agrees to hear case.
- November 26, 2000 - Florida Secretary of State certifies election.
- November 27, 2000 - Gore campaign files to contest the Florida election.
- December 1, 2000 - US Supreme Court hears oral arguments.
- December 2, 2000 - Florida Circuit Court begins election contest trial.
- December 4, 2000
- US Supreme Court vacates Florida Supreme Court decision.
- Florida Circuit Court rules against Gore campaign.
- December 7, 2000
- Florida Supreme Court hears appeal of Florida Circuit Court ruling.
- Florida legislature issues proclamation calling for special session to consider appointing Electors.
- December 8, 2000
- Florida Supreme Court reverses Circuit Court ruling against Gore campaign.
- Bush campaign seeks stay of Florida Supreme Court ruling.
- Florida legislature meets in special session and adjourns to meet again on December 12.
- December 9, 2000
- Florida begins manual recount of "undervote" ballots.
- Florida Supreme Court denies Bush campaign request for stay of order.
- US Supreme Court issues stay to stop manual recounts.
- December 11, 2000 - US Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Florida recount.
- December 12, 2000
- Florida legislature meets and approves 25 Electors pledged to Bush.
- US Supreme Court issues ruling: 7-2 to overturn Florida Supreme Court ruling on recounts, saying that recounts must be statewide for "equal protection;" 5-4 that remedies not possible by deadlines.
- December 13, 2000 - Gore campaign concedes Florida election, declares Bush the winner.
- December 18, 2000 - Electoral College meets and selects George W. Bush as President.
Now, shift that timeline by another 10 days due to pushing out the return of "mail-in" ballots. That is the chaos that Democrats want to inject into the 2020 election in at least five states.
Article II Section 1:
“The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.”The clause in Article II Section 1 mandating the Electoral College meet on the same day is what ultimately prevents this from spilling over into the new year. The Electoral College will meet whether these states participate or not. If they do not participate due to self-inflicted delays, the 270 vote threshold for majority will be reduced by half the Electoral votes of the states that fail to participate.
If things get the brink, that means the legislature has the choice of letting Pennsylvania go un represented in the election of the President, or they step in at the last minute and make a choice.
-PJ
Thank you for the excellent explanation!