Jill Stein campaign files for recount in Michigan

Jill Stein campaign files for recount in Michigan

Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press
2:17 p.m. EST November 30, 2016

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(Photo: Christopher Dolan, AP)


LANSING, Mich. — The campaign of Green Party candidate Jill Stein filed a request Wednesday for a recount of nearly 4.8 million ballots cast for president in Michigan.

Mark Brewer, the Michigan-based lawyer representing Stein, arrived at around 1:30 p.m. ET at the Board of Elections with several others representing the campaign.

"I and the undersigned members of my slate of electors are aggrieved on account of fraud or mistake in the canvass of the votes by the inspectors of election, and/or the returns made by the inspectors and/or by the Board of County Canvassers and/or by the Board of State Canvassers," Stein said in her request. "I request that all of the precincts and absent voter counting board precincts within the state of Michigan be recounted by hand count."

A recount could begin as soon as Friday in the state's largest 19 counties, followed by the smaller counties, with a goal of finishing the statewide recount by Dec. 10.

The state Board of Canvassers also has scheduled a 9:30 a.m. Friday meeting to deal with any objections to the recount that might be coming from other presidential candidates.

The board certified the Nov. 8 election results Monday, showing that Republican Donald Trump won the state with a 10,704 margin of victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Brewer has acknowledged that he doesn't expect a recount, which Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has estimated could cost as much as $2 million, to change the outcome of the election. Stein's fundraising is expected to pay $973,000, and the rest of the costs will come from the state's 83 counties.

But the purpose of the recount is to investigate any evidence of mistakes or fraud happening during the counting of the ballots, Brewer said.

Stein has said she has no evidence of fraud going into a recount of ballots in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan but wants to ensure the integrity of the election.

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