But the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta agreed to hear a similar request by Bush, which was dismissed earlier in the week by a U.S. District Judge in Miami.

It also agreed to hear an appeal by Brevard County voters who claimed their rights were violated because votes in the county were not being recounted.

The Florida Supreme Court denied a request by Harris to transfer all lawsuits to Leon County, the county in which Tallahassee, the state capital, is located.

Harris made the request in order to establish one judicial authority for all Florida election cases and avoid conflicting rulings, she said.

"Without question, this court must make it clear that the election of the president and vice president is not a matter of local pleasure," the petition said. "It is, at the least, a statewide matter of concern."

"This court must assume control over this litigation to preserve its ability to establish standards and to protect the voters of the state," she said.

The state Supreme Court agreed to take briefs on a request by Palm Beach County that it clarify conflicting rulings on the recounts from Harris and from Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth, a Democrat. Palm Beach County is suing both Harris and Butterworth.

Palm Beach County is one of four Democratic strongholds where the Gore camp requested additional recounts. The court also agreed to allow Vice President Al Gore's campaign and another of the four counties, Broward, to join the suit.