in allen Bezirken angeordnet.Nachbörslich fällt der Nasdaq.Stimmenmehrheit von Bush bei 159 jetzt.TALLAHASSEE, Florida (CNN) -- In a split decision, the Florida Supreme Court on Friday ordered an immediate manual recount of presidential election undervotes in Miami-Dade county and all Florida counties "where such a recount has not occurred."
"Because time is of the essence, the recount will commence immediately," said the court's spokesman, Craig Waters.
The court also added 383 votes to Al Gore's total, from Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
The court ruled 4-3 in favor of an appeal filed by the Gore campaign regarding a dispute of hand counted votes. The high court said the standard to be used to count votes "is the one to be provided by the legislature," which requires the ballot to show "a clear intent of the voter."
Latest developments
• Earlier Friday, in separate cases, two Leon County, Florida, circuit court judges refused Friday to throw out about 25,000 absentee ballots, many of which were cast for Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush. Both decisions were immediately appealed.
The cases were brought by Democratic plaintiffs -- one in Martin County, another in Seminole County -- who claimed that the absentee ballots were invalid because ballot applications were not properly filled out and Republican elections officials allowed information to be added improperly.
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Florida Supreme Court hears arguments on Gore's appeal of a circuit court ruling against a manual recount of disputed ballots (December 7)
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The Boardman case on the will of the voter is the guiding principal for the Florida Supreme Court. CNN's Charles Bierbauer explains (December 7)
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Hotel rooms for the inauguration are sitting empty waiting for a president-elect. And, as CNNfn's Bob Beard reports caterers hope their wallets don't stay empty (December 7)
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Briefs filed on behalf of George W. Bush
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11TH U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS FILINGS
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LEON COUNTY, FLORIDA, CIRCUIT COURT FILINGS
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IN-DEPTH
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The decisions were a significant blow to Gore, who was trying to overtake Bush's lead in the overall certified state vote tally.
• Bush attorney Ben Ginsberg told reporters, "We are, of course, gratified with the two rulings. On behalf of Gov. Bush and Secretary (Dick) Cheney, we are satisfied that the right to vote has been upheld today." The opinion of the courts, he said, were "extremely strong and well-rooted in fact."
In Austin, Texas, another Bush aide said, "Two down and one to go," referring to Gore's challenge of the election before the Florida Supreme Court.
Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for Democratic candidate Al Gore, said: "Our focus is where it has been all along: Our case before the Florida Supreme Court. We frankly had no great hopes based on (the cases in Seminole and Martin counties) and we never joined them. We remain confident in our case before the Florida Supreme Court." (More on the absentee ballot suits)
• Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature held a brief special session Friday. The session, which reconvenes Tuesday, was expected to decide whether to appoint the Legislature's own slate of electors for Bush.
• The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights voted unanimously Friday to conduct hearings on alleged Election Day voting irregularities in Florida.
The commission expects to hold hearings in at least three sites in Florida beginning in January -- but only after Congress meets to count electoral votes.
"What led me to believe that hearings are necessary," said commission chairwoman Mary Frances Berry, "is the broad array of complaints, which is almost mind-boggling, that have occurred in the Florida election -- such things as voting machines (and) disparate treatment as to who had what voting equipment."
• Speaking Friday to reporters in Austin, Texas, Bush said he was unlikely to accept a Florida Supreme Court decision against his campaign. "We're prepared, if need be, to take our case back to (U.S.) Supreme Court, but I hope that doesn't have to happen."