Measuring Election Performance

Abstract

The 2000 presidential election was one of the closest elections in American history. A margin of about 550,000 votes separated Al Gore from George Bush, only about 0.52% of votes cast. And despite the fact that Gore received more of the popular vote than Bush, after a contentious situation in Florida and a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Bush was the recipient of more Electoral College votes than Gore (271 to 266) and Bush became president.