Florida prepares to certify recount

Florida's top election official certified the results of the state's hotly disputed presidential recount Sunday with Texas Gov. George W. Bush leading Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes as Gore's lawyers prepared to formally contest the results. Secretary of State Katherine Harris announced the certified totals from Florida's 67 counties Sunday night, after a deadline for counties to submit amended returns from hand recounts passed at 5 p.m. Earlier, Harris rejected a request for an extension by Palm Beach County, where the canvassing board said it had less than 1,000 ballots left to count. The final tally, according to Harris, was 2,912,790 votes for Bush; 2,912,253 for Gore. "Accordingly, on behalf of the state Election Canvassing Commission and in accordance with the laws of the state of Florida, I hereby declare Governor George W. Bush the winner of Florida's 25 electoral votes for the president of the United States," Harris said.