Gary Tuchman on butterfly ballots and manual recounts

Gary Tuchman

CNN National Correspondent Gary Tuchman has been keeping track of legal documents flying into courts in Florida.

Q: What is so unusual about these cases?

TUCHMAN: This is the first time in 124 years that an American presidential election has been officially contested. The papers were filed by Al Gore's attorneys this afternoon and will be on a fast track because the court will convene at 4 p.m. to consider Gore's request.

Q: What would each side like to get from the Leon County Circuit Court?

TUCHMAN: What the Gore campaign would like is for this judge in Florida's Leon County Circuit Court to order manual hand recounts in Miami-Dade County be completed and certified and to order Palm Beach county's manual recount to be certified. They believe those items alone would give Gore more votes in Florida than George W. Bush. But Bush's attorneys want the judge to uphold Sunday's certification.

Q: What is the action before the Florida Supreme Court?

TUCHMAN: An appeals court in West Palm was scheduled to hear the case of the so-called butterfly ballot. But Monday, the court passed it on to the Florida Supreme Court. We expect to soon hear if the state's highest court will take the case. But a decision on whether Palm Beach County should have a revote because of that ballot would be made by Florida Supreme Court, if it indeed decides to take the case.

Q: What is it like outside the courts?

TUCHMAN: It's actually quite a bit more quiet and dignified than we've seen recently. There are a few demonstrators here, but not nearly the numbers we've seen in previous days in the Florida state capital.