Green Party Candidate Jill Stein to File for Vote Recount in 3 Battleground States


  • By VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

Nov 24, 2016, 11:30 AM ET

The campaign for Green Party candidate Jill Stein announced Wednesday that it's gunning for a recount in three battleground states -- Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania -- to address concerns about the election before it is certified.

Stein and her running mate, Ajamu Baraka, initially said they hoped to raise over $2.5 million -- the money needed to fund recounts in the three states -- by Friday, the deadline to file in Wisconsin.

And by early Thursday, that initial goal was met: According to the campaign website, more than $2.6 million had been raised, with the goal now listed as $4.5 million.

Stein told CNN on Thursday she "absolutely" intends to file for a recount in Wisconsin.

"What I think all Americans can agree on, and what I consider worthy of working for right now, is creating a voting system that we can trust. There are glaring red flags right now about this voting system," said Stein, who points to unsubstantiated claims that electronic voting machines might have been hacked or manipulated.

On Tuesday, New York Magazine reported that a group of computers scientists and election lawyers urged the Clinton campaign to challenge the election results in the three states Stein is now hoping to challenge, though they found no evidence or proof of tampering or hacking.

"What we are saying is not that hacking or fraud has necessarily taken place. I don't think we have evidence of that. But I think it's only natural and it's good for Americans to be reassured that our votes are counted, especially after such a divisive and bitter election," Stein said on Thursday.

Stein also commented on how quickly her campaign has raised money: "The fact it has basically funded itself overnight reflects the incredible hunger out there among the American people to actually start doing something positive and to start creating an election system that we can believe in."

An updated statement on the website reads, "First recount funded. Two more to go! Congratulations on meeting the recount costs for Wisconsin. Raising money to pay for the first round so quickly is a miraculous feat and a tribute to the power of grassroots organizing.

Now that we have nearly completed funding Wisconsin's recount (which is due on Friday), we can begin to tackle the funding for Michigan's recount (due Monday) and Pennsylvania's recount (due Wednesday)."

Stein received 1 percent of the votes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Trump won Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump leads in Michigan by about 10,000 votes and the state certifies the results on Nov. 28. Stein won 1 percent of the national vote, a little over 1 million votes, for president.

However, the campaign said the purpose of filing for a recount is “more than the results of this one election,” and that it’s more so about “protecting our democracy and ensuring” voters can have “confidence in reported results.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/green...ry?id=43746839