Does a disputed US election feel familiar? Twenty years ago, Americans waited more than a month to know if Al Gore or George W. Bush had won the presidential election. Bush finally prevailed after a Supreme Court ruling stopped a recount in Florida that many believe would have given the state (and overall victory) to Gore, who won the popular vote. But the 2000 election dispute was over just one state, where the margin of votes was minuscule, and Gore graciously conceded when it was all over. In 2020, the situation is very different: President Trump — who has lost according to the major news organizations that traditionally call the race — is suing over mostly baseless claims of electoral fraud in multiple states with much larger margins in favor of President-elect Joe Biden, whom Trump trails in the popular vote by more than 5 million ballots. We take a look back and compare the numbers in both of the disputed US elections.
