Plans to move ahead with a ballot recount in Michigan are on hold. The state Republican Party and President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign have filed an objection to the recount request by Green Party nominee Jill Stein. A state elections board meets tomorrow morning to consider the objection.
“If the board adopts the objection, then the recount is over with,” said Fred Woodhams with state Bureau of Elections. “If they do not adopt the objection, then the recount will go forward, but not until two business days have elapsed. So depending on the time when they do that, it could be Tuesday afternoon, it could be Wednesday when the recount commences.”
The two days give the losing side time to go to court.
The objection states that Stein has no standing to request a recount because she’s so far behind there’s no hope of her emerging the victor.
“Jill Stein has stated herself that she has no chance of winning this election, she has no chance of changing the result, so why should we go through a costly taxpayer-funded recount process if she is not aggrieved.”
The complaint also says the request for a recount was not property notarized in Michigan.
Stein came in fourth with a little over one percent of the vote. Michigan law says a losing candidate can request a recount.
The Stein campaign says the recount is important to test the integrity of ballot counting in Michigan.
