With the presidential election in legal limbo at Graphic Communicator press time, the AFL-CIO called for a "serious investigation" of the ballot issues in Florida and for a thorough recount process in that state.

Not including the 25 electoral votes in Florida, where the ballot issues await rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court and the state's high court, Democratic contender Vice Pres. Al Gore led his Republican opponent Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the popular vote and electoral college.

Gore had 49,222,339 votes, compared with Bush's 48,999,459 votes. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader had 2,694,855 votes and Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan had 442,637 votes.

Gore had 267 electoral votes, while Bush had 246. With 270 electoral votes needed to win, Florida's 25 electoral votes will determine the victor.

At a Nov. 27, 2000, press conference, Gore asked the nation to be patient while he seeks a fair count of the Florida ballots. "If we ignore the votes of thousands in Florida in this election, how can you or any American have confidence that your vote will not be ignored in a future election?" Gore asked.

Both the Gore and Bush campaign groups have pending lawsuits over such issues as invalidated ballots, incomplete recounts, and irregular voting practices in Florida. Voters in Palm Beach County took to the streets to protest the tens of thousands of ballots that were thrown out there because the flawed design led voters to accidentally vote for Buchanan instead of Gore or to vote twice for a presidential candidate.

The AFL-CIO said that unions have received reports from African American, and immigrant communities being turned away from the polls, misinformed by election officials, and denied their right to vote. Florida AFL-CIO officials reported that thousands of union members and retirees called a toll-free hotline with complaints on voting day improprieties.

AFL-CIO Pres. John J. Sweeney said: "There are a lot of questions to be answered in Florida. Serious allegations have been raised, and nothing short of a serious investigation will suffice."

"This process dare not fall short of being thorough and deliberate," Sweeney said. "Every vote must count – the essence of our democracy depends on every voter's voice being heard in this process."

Union members made their voices count on Nov. 7, according to exit polls by Peter D. Hart Research Associates. Hart reported that voters from union households represented 26 percent of the vote overall and even higher proportions in key battleground states such as Michigan. The union voters reported they overwhelming chose the Gore-Lieberman ticket.

The AFL-CIO said an estimated 100,000 union members volunteered their time at worksites, phone banks, and in precinct walks to support worker-friendly candidates. While unions have people power, business has the money to spend on elections. Based on Federal Election Commission data, businesses' political contributions were 15 times greater than union contributions.

In other election results, of the 34 U.S. Senate seats up for election, Democrats won 19 seats – including the late breaking upset by Democrat Maria Cantwell over incumbent Republican Slade Gorton. Republicans won 15. If Sen. Joseph L. Lieberman (D-Conn.) doesn't leave the Senate to assume the vice presidency, Democrats and Republicans have a 50-50 tie. The previous Senate had 54 Republicans and 46 Democrats.

In the 435-member House, Democrats had a net gain of three seats and now hold 212 seats while Republicans had a net loss of one seat and now hold 221 seats. Two House members are independents.

In the 11 governors' races, Democrats won governorships in Delaware, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. Republicans won governorships in Montana, North Dakota, and Utah. Counting the newly elected, there will be 29 Republican, 19 Democratic, and two independent governors. Before the election, there were 30 Republicans, 18 Democrats, and two independents.

On ballot measures, the AFL-CIO reported that Oregon voters rejected – by 55 percent and 53 percent margins – two "paycheck deception" proposals that would have banned the use of payroll deductions for political activities. In California, voters by a 71 percent margin rejected a proposal to provide $4,000 annual vouchers to all private school students. In Michigan, 69 percent of voters said "no" to a proposal that would have eliminated the state's constitution ban on state aid to private and religious schools and provided tax dollars for private school vouchers.