No. 00-836 IN THE Supreme Court of the United States GEORGE W. BUSH, Petitioner, v. PALM BEACH COUNTY CANVASSING BOARD, et al., Respondents. On Writ Of Certiorari To The Supreme Court Of Florida BRIEF FOR PETITIONER MICHAEL A. CARVIN THEODORE B. OLSON COOPER, CARVIN & Counsel of Record ROSENTHAL, P.L.L.C. TERENCE P. ROSS 1500 K Street, N.W. DOUGLAS R. COX Suite 200 THOMAS G. HUNGAR Washington, D.C. 20005 MARK A. PERRY (202) 220-9600 GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP 1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. BARRY RICHARD Washington, D.C. 20036 GREENBERG TRAURIG, P.A. (202) 955-8500 101 East College Avenue Post Office Drawer 1838 BENJAMIN L. GINSBERG Tallahassee, FL 32302 PATTON BOGGS LLP (850) 222-6891 2550 M Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 (202) 4 57-6000 [Additional counsel listed on inside front cover] Counsel for Petitioner GEORGE J. TERWILLIGER III JOHN F. MANNING TIMOTHY E. FLANIGAN 435 W. 116th Street MARCOS D. JIMÉNEZ New York, N.Y. 10027 WHITE & CASE LLP First Union Financial Center WILLIAM K. KELLEY 200 South Biscayne Blvd. Notre Dame Law School Miami, Florida 33131 Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 (305) 371-2700 BRADFORD R. CLARK 2000 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20052 i QUESTIONS PRESENTED 1. Whether post-election judicial limitations on the discretion granted by the legislature to state executive officials to certify election results, and/or post-election judicially created standards for the determination of con- troversies concerning the appointment of presidential electors, violate the Due Process Clause or 3 U.S.C. § 5, which requires that a State resolve controversies relating to the appointment of electors under "laws enacted prior to" election day. 2. Whether the state court's decision, which cannot be reconciled with state statutes enacted before the elec- tion was held, is inconsistent with Article II, Section 1, clause 2 of the Constitution, which provides that electors shall be appointed by each State "in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct." 3. What would be the consequences of this Court's finding that the decision of the Supreme Court of Florida does not comply with 3 U.S.C. § 5? ii PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDING The following individuals and entities are parties to the proceeding in the court below: Governor George W. Bush, as candidate for Presi- dent; Katherine Harris, as Secretary of State, State of Florida; Katherine Harris, Bob Crawford, and Laurence C. Roberts, as members of the Florida Elections Can- vassing Commission; Matt Butler; Palm Beach County Canvassing Board; Broward County Canvassing Board; Broward County Supervisor of Elections; Robert A. Butterworth, as Attorney General, State of Florida; Flor- ida Democratic Party; and Vice President Albert Gore, Jr., as candidate for President. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page QUESTIONS PRESENTED ...............................................i PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDING .................................ii TABLE OF AUTHORITIES.............................................vi OPINIONS BELOW ...........................................................1 JURISDICTION ..................................................................1 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS AND STATUTES INVOLVED...................................................2 STATEMENT OF THE CASE..........................................2 I. The 2000 Presidential Election............................3 A. The Election Laws Of Florida As Of November 7, 2000..........................................3 B. The Presidential Election In Florida And The Tabulation Of Votes ......................6 II. The Litigation At Issue .........................................8 A. The Trial Court's Decisions..........................8 B. Proceedings In The Florida Su-preme Court ................................................................9 III. Events Since The Petition Was Filed................11 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT .......................................12 ARGUMENT .....................................................................15 I. The Judgment Of The Florida Supreme Court Should Be Vacated Because It Does Not Comply With 3 U.S.C. § 5................17 iv A. State Court Determinations Regard- ing Controversies Over The Ap- pointment Of Presidential Electors Lack Conclusive Effect Unless They Implement Legal Rules Enacted Before The Election .....................................17 B. The Decision Below Announces New Rules Of Law And Timetables To Govern Controversies And Con- tests Concerning Florida's Appoint- ment Of Presidential Electors.....................19 C. The Florida Supreme Court's Deci- sion Also Upsets The Policy Choice Made By Congress In 3 U.S.C. § 5 ............27 D. Because The Judgment Below Does Not Comply With 3 U.S.C. § 5, It Is Not Binding On Congress Or The Elections Canvassing Commission............29 II. The Florida Supreme Court's Decision Violates Article II Of The Constitution Of The United States...........................................36 A. The Framers Vested The Authority To Determine The Manner For The Appointment Of Presidential Elec- tors In The State Legislatures .....................37 B. In The Absence Of Express Legisla- tive Direction, The State Executive And Judicial Branches Are Constitutionally Prohibited From Engrafting Material Changes Onto The Manner Of Appointing Presi- dential Electors.............................................40 v C. The Florida Supreme Court Has Not Been Granted Authority To Determine The Manner Of Appoint- ing Presidential Electors..............................43 D. As A Result Of Its Unconstitutional Arrogation Of Power, The Florida Supreme Court's Decision Is A Nul- lity .................................................................48 CONCLUSION..................................................................50 vi TABLE OF AUTHORITIES CASES Page(s) Anderson v. Celebrezze, 460 U.S. 780 (1983) ............................................................................16 Beckstrom v. Volusia County Canvassing Bd., 707 So. 2d 720, 725 (Fla. 1998)..................32, 33 Black v. Cutter Labs., 351 U.S. 292 (1956) .....................2 Boardman v. Esteva, 323 So. 2d 259 (Fla. 1975)..............................................................................32 Bolden v. Potter, 452 So. 2d 564 (Fla. 1984)...................6 Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976)................................17 Burroughs v. United States, 290 U.S. 534 (1934) ............................................................................15 California v. Superior Court of California, 482 U.S. 400 (1987) .......................................32, 49, 50 Carmell v. Texas, 120 S. Ct. 1620 (2000) ......................20 Caspari v. Bohlen, 510 U.S. 383 (1994)..................20, 21 Chapman v. Goodnow's Adm'r, 123 U.S. 540 (1887).......................................................................2 Chappell v. Martinez, 536 So. 2d 1007 (Fla. 1988).......................................................................22, 23 Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417 (1998) ............................................................................36 Cousins v. Wigoda, 419 U.S. 477 (1975)........................16 Ex Parte Siebold, 100 U.S. 371 (1879)...........................49 vii Ex Parte Young, 209 U.S. 123 (1908).............................49 Foster v. Love, 522 U.S. 67 (1997) .................................36 Gunn v. Barry, 82 U.S. 610 (1872) .................................49 Hawke v. Smith, 253 U.S. 221 (1920).............................41 Lindsey v. Washington, 301 U.S. 397 (1937).................20 Market Street Ry. Co. v. Railroad Comm'n, 324 U.S. 548 (1945) ......................................................2 Martin v. Hunter's Lessee, 14 U.S. 304 (1816) ............................................................................44 McClendon v. Slater, 554 P.2d 774 (Okla. 1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1096 (1977) .....................................................................40, 46 McPherson v. Blacker, 146 U.S. 1 (1892)..............passim Milliken v. Bradley, 418 U.S. 717 (1974).......................49 New Mexico ex re. Ortiz v. Read, 524 U.S. 151 (1998).....................................................................32 Parsons v. Ryan, 60 P.2d 910 (Kan. 1936).....................46 Ray v. Blair, 343 U.S. 214 (1952) ...................................38 Reynoldsville Casket Co. v. Hyde, 514 U.S. 749 (1996).....................................................................49 Roe v. Alabama, 43 F.3d 574 (11th Cir. 1995)..............................................................................28 Russello v. United States, 464 U.S. 16 (1984) .....................................................................42, 43 St. Martin Evangelical Lutheran Church v. South Dakota, 451 U.S. 772 (1981) ..........................44 viii State ex rel. Beeson v. Marsh, 34 N.W.2d 279 (Neb. 1948) ...........................................................40 Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environment, 523 U.S. 83 (1998)..............................49 Street v. New York, 394 U.S. 576 (1969)..........................2 Teague v. Lane, 489 U.S. 288 (1989).......................20, 21 U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779 (1995)........................................................39, 40, 43 United States v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437 (1965)................26 United States v. Harris, 106 U.S. 629 (1883)................26 United States v. State of Florida, Civ. No.: TCA-80-1055 (N.D. Fla. Apr. 2, 1982) ......................6 Williams v. Rhodes, 393 U.S. 23 (1968).........................16 Constitution & Statutes U.S. CONST. art. I, § 2, cl. 1 .............................................37 U.S. CONST. art. I, § 2, cl. 4 .............................................42 U.S. CONST. art. I, § 3, cl. 1 .............................................37 U.S. CONST. art. I, § 4, cl. 1 .............................................42 U.S. CONST. art. I, § 5, cl. 1 .............................................36 U.S. CONST. art. I, § 8, cl. 16 ...........................................41 U.S. CONST. art. I, § 10, cl. 2 ...........................................41 U.S. CONST. art. II, § 1..................................15, 16, 34, 37 U.S. CONST. art. II, § 1, cl. 1 ............................................14 U.S. CONST. art. II, § 1, cl. 2 ..................16, 25, 34, 35, 38 U.S. CONST. art. II, § 1, cl. 4 ............................................15 ix U.S. CONST. art. IV, § 2, cl. 2 ...................................32, 42 U.S. CONST. art. IV, § 4 ....................................................42 U.S. CONST. art. V.............................................................42 U.S. CONST. art. VI, cl. 2 ..................................................42 U.S. CONST. amend. XII............................................16, 37 U.S. CONST. amend. XVII................................................37 2 U.S.C. § 7 ........................................................................36 3 U.S.C. §§ 1-15 .........................................................13, 17 3 U.S.C. § 2 .................................................................34, 35 3 U.S.C. § 5 ................................................................passim 3 U.S.C. § 6 ........................................................................30 3 U.S.C. § 7 ........................................................................25 3 U.S.C. § 15 ...............................................................20, 31 18 U.S.C. § 3182................................................................32 28 U.S.C. § 1257..................................................................1 Fla. Stat. § 102.111.............. 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24, 44 Fla. Stat. § 102.111(1)............................................4, 44, 45 Fla. Stat. § 102.112....................................................passim Fla. Stat. § 102.112(1).................................4, 5, 22, 44, 45 Fla. Stat. § 102.121............................................................43 Fla. Stat. § 102.141..............................................................4 Fla. Stat. § 102.141(4).....................................................2, 5 Fla. Stat. § 102.166(1)-(3)..................................................5 Fla. Stat. § 102.166(4)(a)-(c)..............................................5 x