In a US election, if the vote is 'too close to call' at the end of vote counting?

Question

as was with Al Gore/ GW Bush that time, who exactly makes the decision to extend voting or what ever happended.

Answer 1

Elections are left to the States. In the example you gave, Florida's vote was "too close to call", so Florida handled the recount.

If the electoral vote is "too close to call", meaning that no candidate receives over 50% of the votes, then it goes to the House of Representative to vote, with each state getting one vote.

Answer 2

Too close to call would be a 50/50 votes where both the candidates had an equal number. There might be some states that require a runoff election if there is too close a margin, but that would be up to the states.

What happened in Florida was that the margin was too close and Florida law allowed a recount. Gore took that option because the election hinged upon Florida. That recount was completed and Bush was still the winner. However, the margin was even smaller and a manual recount was started. However, the law in Florida required that the results be in to the Florida Secretary of State within 7 days. The manual recount was taking too long. To be within election law in Florida the official recount was stopped and the Bush won Florida.

The decision to extend voting must be within the law. There is not making up the rules as you go. The problem in Florida was that the law did not allow time for the manual recount. In any event, the unofficial recount still had Bush as the winner.

Answer 3

The entire vote in Florida was counted. Closely contested counties like Palm Beach, Dade and counties with "chads" were even recounted. Gore's attorneys wanted the Secretary of State to order a state wide recount but the Florida State Constitution gives the Secretary of State only so many days to certify the Florida vote --which she did. This ended the debacle.