Final answer:
The Supreme Court halted the manual recount in Florida during the 2000 presidential election, effectively awarding the state's electoral votes to George W. Bush which secured his victory.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Bush v. Gore (2000), the Supreme Court made a pivotal decision that played a decisive role in the outcome of the 2000 presidential election. Faced with a highly contested vote count in Florida, the Supreme Court, in a narrow split decision, ultimately halted the manual recount of 'undervotes' in Florida. This ruling came out in two parts: first, by a 7-2 vote, the Court found that the recount procedures violated the equal protection clause; second, by a 5-4 vote, justices deemed that there was insufficient time for a fair recount, resulting in George W. Bush receiving Florida's electoral votes and hence the presidency.
By stopping the manual recount, in effect, the Court's decision confirmed that George W. Bush would win Florida's electoral votes despite the very close popular vote and ongoing disputes concerning voting irregularities and ballot design issues such as the infamous 'butterfly ballot.' This controversial and historic case is a clear example of the Supreme Court's impact on the electoral process and the importance of the Court's role in addressing federal questions.