During the contentious 1876 presidential election, Gleason reportedly held up the certification of Florida's results. Shortly after the election, it was determined that there was a tie in Florida but also that the returns from Dade County had not been counted. After several attempts by the governor to obtain Dade County's returns, locals realized that Gleason had possession of them but had forgotten to mail them before going on a hunting expedition. The twenty-eight votes determined who Florida's electoral votes went for, though the final decision was ultimately made by a bipartisan commission who considered the returns from Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina.