Why did it take so long to determine a winner in the presidential election of 2000 and the state of Florida?

While the race was a narrow one in Florida and raised questions about who actually won the election, the events in Florida in November 2000 also shed light on the shoddy practices and procedures states used to count votes. Confusing ballot design, faulty voting machines, misleading instructions, all created confusions that required a careful accounting to determine voters' intent.