Which case resolved the 2000 presidential election dispute by declaring Florida's recount scheme unconstitutional?

• A. Bush v. Gore
• B. Plessy v. Ferguson
• C. Citizens United v. FEC
• D. Marbury v. Madison

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is how the Supreme Court handles election procedures to protect voter equality. In Bush v. Gore, the Court held that Florida’s recount method violated the Equal Protection Clause because different counties used different standards to determine vote counts, producing unequal treatment of voters. With no uniform standard across the state, there wasn’t a constitutionally sound way to complete a recount before the deadline to certify results, so the Court halted the recount. That ruling effectively decided the election in favor of Bush by stopping the process rather than approving a valid nationwide recount.

The other cases aren’t about election recounts or equal protection in voting. Plessy v. Ferguson dealt with racial segregation; Citizens United concerns campaign finance; Marbury v. Madison established judicial review.