Lawyers on the case to ensure every vote counts

With the spectre of the 2000 presidential election as a backdrop, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s campaigns had legions of lawyers ready to swamp polling stations to make sure every vote counted.

The main fear was a repeat of 12 years ago, when Republican George W Bush lost the popular vote but won more electoral college votes than Democrat Al Gore after an acrimonious vote recount in Florida.

The matter was resolved more than a month after the election by the US Supreme Court.