Heavily armed police will escort over 1.1 million ballots from Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties to a court 400 miles away in Tallahassee in case a judge orders another recount to settle whether Vice-President Al Gore or Governor George W. Bush won Florida in the election three weeks ago.
Mr Gore is continuing to express confidence that he will win Florida and the presidency as there are signs that public opinion wants him to concede. He told NBC's Today show: "I believe we are going to win this election. I think the odds are still 50-50. I think the law is so clear in Florida that the votes are going to have to be counted."
But Leon County Circuit Judge Sanders Sauls in Tallahassee rejected the request from the Gore legal team that a recount of disputed ballots in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties should begin immediately. Last night lawyers for Mr Gore appealed the decision. Mr Gore is contesting in the court the official certification last Sunday of Mr Bush as the winner in Florida.
Instead Judge Sauls authorised the transport by police of the disputed ballots to his court along with a sample voting booth and voting machine. He said the two sides would have to wait until a hearing on Saturday before he ruled if there should be a recount.
The judge's order dismayed the Gore lawyers, who insist the matter is extremely urgent as Florida's representatives to the electoral college have to be ratified on December 12th. Judge Sauls, noted for his folksy humour, said his hearing on Saturday would "go on as long as someone is standing".
A police spokesman said the ballots would be driven by a heavily-armed SWAT team from Miami. The time of the pick-up or the route would not be revealed for security reasons, the spokesman said.
A Democratic lawyer in Palm Beach, Mr Dennis Newman, said that "the ballots are going to be like the O.J. Bronco ride".
Meanwhile the Florida legislature, which has a Republican majority in both houses, is considering calling a special session to pass legislation to appoint the 25 members of the electoral college if the result in the state is not clear by the December 12th deadline.
Governor Jeb Bush, the brother of George, said yesterday that he would sign legislation naming a separate slate of electors "if it is the appropriate thing to do".
Mr Gore said he thought the present uncertainty would be over by the middle of December, "and most unlikely to go beyond that".
Mr Gore, who is now making public appearances several times a day, said he would support Mr Bush if he is eventually confirmed as the winner.
Mr Bush is now being allowed by President Clinton to receive daily CIA briefings on security matters as Vice-President Gore does. But Mr Bush's transition team will not be allowed to use the official transition offices in Washington or receive funding until the Florida situation is clarified.