DENVER (AP) – Donald Trump has notoriously refused to say he would accept a loss to Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 election, raising the prospect of a prolonged legal fight that could roil the nation. Legal battles over voting results are rarely successful but they do happen – most famously in 2000, when a 537-vote margin separated Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush in the must-win state of Florida. In that case, it took a Supreme Court ruling along party lines to resolve the dispute and make Bush president.
Here’s a look at how Trump – or Clinton, should she be in a similar situation – could try to challenge the election results.
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IT’S GOTTA BE CLOSE
State governments formally certify the winners of presidential elections within their boundaries, and it’s not hard to legally contest them.