What did the ruling in Bush v. Gore utilize to stop the Florida recount?

The ruling in Bush v. Gore, which decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, utilized the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to halt the Florida recount. The Supreme Court found that the varying standards used in different counties for counting votes led to unequal treatment of voters, which violated their constitutional right to equal protection under the law.

In this case, the court emphasized that the recount process could not ensure uniformity in how ballots were interpreted and counted. This lack of consistency would result in some votes being counted differently than others, potentially affecting the election outcome and ultimately infringing on the principle of equal protection. Hence, the decision to stop the recount was grounded in this understanding of the Equal Protection Clause, establishing a precedent regarding the treatment of voters and the importance of uniform processes in elections.