Twenty-five years after Florida became the epicenter of one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history, former Secretary of State Katherine Harris maintains she simply followed the law when certifying George W. Bush as the winner.
WATCH BELOW: 'All I did was follow the law,' Former Secretary of State Katherine Harris tells WPTV
“And in accordance with the laws of the state of Florida, I hereby declare Gov. George W. Bush the winner of Florida's 25 electoral votes,” Harris said back in 2000.
The presidency hinged on just a few 100 votes, with recounts stretching from polling places to the highest courts.
“The election was the 7th. We were to certify seven days later, and then it got postponed and the Florida Supreme Court came in and violated Article 2, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution,” Harris told WPTV’s Meghan McRoberts, “and took the responsibility away from the legislature and changed the law and extended it to Nov. 26. You know, you can't change the law. The law is written that this is the day.”
When some counties missed the recount deadline, Harris certified George W. Bush as the winner, prompting Al Gore's team to take legal action.
The Florida Supreme Court then ordered thousands of missed ballots to be counted, but the battle continued.
“Palm Beach, just give us four more hours. We're four days later, four months later. They never finished counting,” Harris told WPTV.
Through it all, Harris maintained the Department of State strictly followed the law despite national backlash.
“For the press, or anyone, to offer that something happened that wasn't correct and hurt people in this country and make them think that their votes were not counted correctly, it's just so wrong,” Harris said, “because every step of the way, we just so strongly followed the law.”
It was a decision that brought anger and gratitude, but for Harris, she said the outcome wasn't about preference. It was about process.
“All I did was follow the law. I had to add up 67 counties' vote tallies,” she said.
It was a moment in history that still resonates when the fate of the nation was decided here in Florida and accountability was under a global spotlight.
Watch the 2000 Election Special: Bush v. Gore—Hanging in the Balance on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. only on WPTV .
