TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – When America went to the polls on November 7, 2000, there was a sense across the country that the race was close.

It looked like George W. Bush or Al Gore could capture the White House. As voters cast their ballots at the Leon County Courthouse, a man spoke to a WCTV reporter.

“I feel like every vote counts… it’s too hard for me to stay home,” she said.

Close turned out to be an understatement.

This week’s Tally Back Then delves into the WCTV archives to capture the wild aftermath of Election Day 2000. The presidency was on the line as Florida remained uncalled for weeks.

Mike Vasilinda covered the Florida Capitol for decades. Remember that the chaos began the day after the election.

“I got a call at 4:30 a.m. saying we were having trouble with the election,” he said.

He ran to the Capitol and eventually headed to the elections office. He says it was a chaotic scene, with staff running around and others arguing heatedly about what was happening.

“That really set the stage for what happened over the next three days,” he said.

The eyes of the world quickly turned to Tallahassee. Journalists from all over the world came to the Florida Capitol.

“The satellite trucks were parked around the Capitol, on Duval Street,” Vasilinda recalled.

A BBC journalist told WCTV: “People have been fantastic and very hospitable.”

“The only day I didn’t work 16 hours during the entire event was Thanksgiving,” Vasilinda recalled.

Tallahassee attorney Barry Richard led George W. Bush’s legal efforts in the state.

“In a matter of days there were 47 lawsuits,” he recalled.

Controversy and confusion swirled around thousands of ballots in South Florida. There was talk of hanging chads, butterfly votes and recounts.

“It’s unlike any other major trial I’ve ever been in,” Richard said. “We never knew what would happen the next hour, let alone the next day.”

As days turned into weeks, WCTV crews were on the ground taking the pulse of Tallahassee residents suddenly caught in the middle of a historic moment in America. Opinions were mixed.

“It’s a piece of history in the making,” one man said.

Others thought it was “very embarrassing” or “a disaster.”

“In times of technology, everyone just wants to know who will be president,” said one woman.

For downtown hotel and restaurant owners, the show was profitable.

“As a businessman, of course, I am happy. As a voting American, probably not,” said one restaurant owner. “But as a businessman, I’m not going to complain. “We are doing well.”

More account from that time:

The recount saga did not mean that other aspects of life were put on hold. The Florida – Florida State football game would be played in Tallahassee that year. Journalists staying in hotel rooms were to be expelled in favor of fans who had prior reservations.

“I understand that soccer is very important in Florida and I love it,” said an out-of-town reporter. “But at the same time, we have nowhere to stay.”

The former Soviet Union fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, offered its rooms.

“We thought we could make some money by opening our doors and having them stay here,” said one fraternity brother.

It is not clear if any journalists accepted the offer.

Almost every WCTV newscast began with news of a new court ruling. Rulings by county judges and the Florida Supreme Court constantly reshaped the situation.

Finally, in mid-December, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its now-famous Bush v. Gore ruling, halting the recount in Florida and essentially ensuring Bush’s victory.

Richard remembers his first thought upon learning of that sentence: “It’s finally over.”

“It went out quietly, so to speak, there was no conclusive evidence of what happened,” Vasilinda said.

And as news crews packed up to leave, it became clear that Tallahassee’s moment in the spotlight was finally ending.

“I think there was a sense of pride, that we had been the center, that we handled it well,” Richard said. “There were never any riots, never any problems with everything that happened.”

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