Christopher had been summoned by the Gore campaign early yesterday morning from his home in Los Angeles. Arriving mid-morning, he spent the early afternoon being briefed on the situation.

Late yesterday afternoon, Gore finally came out of seclusion to issue a brief statement. He took no questions from the media.

"We now need to resolve this election in a way that is fair and forthright, and in a way that is fully consistent with the Constitution and our laws," Gore said. "Because of what is at stake, this matter must be resolved expeditiously, but deliberately and without any rush to judgment."

Campaign Chair Bill Daley addressed the press conference after the vice president, stressing that the final tally was far from tabulated.

"There's a whole host of information no one knows," he said.

Questions remain about voting "irregularities" in Florida, and how absentee ballots sent from overseas will affect the election. It could take up to 10 days for those ballots to filter in. In 1996, the 2,300 overseas ballots went mainly to the Republican nominee.

Democratic charges of voting problems gained strength over the course of the morning, as uncounted ballot boxes were discovered and charges of voter tampering came to light.