Politicsrecount

Judge Lets Wisconsin Officials Decide How To Perform Presidential Vote Recount

Donald Trump’s stunning victory in the presidential contest unleashed talk of recounts.
Reuters
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MILWAUKEE, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Local officials in Wisconsin will decide for themselves how to carry out a presidential election recount after a state judge on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit by former Green Party candidate Jill Stein to have the ballots counted by hand.

A recount of Wisconsin’s three million votes is set to begin on Thursday after Stein’s campaign requested the audit and paid the state’s $3.5-million filing fee, state election officials say.

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled that Wisconsin’s 72 county clerks will not be required to count ballots by hand as Stein requested in a lawsuit filed on Monday, Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a statement.

Bailey-Rihn said Stein’s lawsuit, backed by the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, fell short of Wisconsin’s legal standard to ban use of ballot machines in a recount and failed to show enough evidence of fraud or other issues, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said.

“I follow the law. That’s who I am, despite my personal opinions,” said Bailey-Rihn, the Journal reported. “It’s (the counties’) decision. It’s their discretion. I may disagree with it but I must follow the law.”

The ruling will not deter Stein’s efforts, a lawyer for her campaign recount effort said, referring to the hand counting of ballots as the “gold standard.”

“We are calling on all counties to respect the will of Americans across the country and across the political spectrum, and follow the recommendation of the judge, and conduct a hand recount to ensure the accuracy, security, and integrity of this election,” Matthew Brinckerhoff said in a statement.

Stein has also sought a recount in Pennsylvania on Monday, just hours before the state’s deadline, and her campaign said she would file a similar request in Michigan by its deadline on Wednesday.

“Election integrity experts have independently identified Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as states where ‘statistical anomalies’ raised concerns,” her campaign said on its website, seeking donations to pay for recount filing fees.

Donald Trump’s stunning victory in the presidential contest has unleashed talk of recounts, with the Republican president-elect contributing a surprise twist.

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that “serious voter fraud” occurred in California, New Hampshire, and Virginia, states that Clinton won.

All three states rejected Trump’s claim, and the White House on Monday said there had been no evidence of widespread election fraud in the presidential contest. (Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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Before You Go

Trump Voters In West Virginia
(01 of14)
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Lydia Morgan is a small-business owner in Welch, West Virginia: "I voted for Trump because I like that he says what he thinks no matter what. I am like that too. Also, I couldn't disagree more with Hillary Clinton on the abortion issue." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(02 of14)
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Welch Police Chief Pat McKinney with his daughter Kara: "We had two candidates in this election and one of them said that she was going to shut down all the mining business in the country. The people of Welch live from the mining industry. So they did what they had to do to protect their jobs and their families. We love this place and we don't want to leave. But if there are no mining jobs, there is nothing else to do up here." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(03 of14)
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McDowell County was established in 1858. Since then, the main source of income for its residents is derived from the coal mining industry. During the 1950s and 1960s, the population boomed and reached more than 100,000 residents. After that period, though, the mining industry started to go down and the population started to decline. Today, the county has almost 20,000 residents. (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(04 of14)
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John Belcher of Kimball, West Virginia: "In this election we had two shitty choices and we chose the shit that stink less." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(05 of14)
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Kimball resident Michael Acosta: "The politicians for the last few years are taking our jobs and putting everybody on unemployment. They want us to live with unemployment benefits so that they can control us. I don't want their money; I want a job. I voted for Trump, because I think he will fix the economy, not only here, but in the whole country." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(06 of14)
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Ed Shepard, a 93-year-old World War II veteran: "I didn't vote in this election. I see no meaning of this. Whoever goes to the White House will do whatever he/she wants to do and won't give a damn about us." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(07 of14)
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The house of Burks in Welch. Pit Burks: "Hilary Clinton left me no choice. Her stance against the mining industry would be a disaster for my city, me and my family." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(08 of14)
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One of the three remaining coal mining companies in the city of Welch. (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(09 of14)
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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, in the 1980s, the central Appalachian region lost more than 70,000 coal mining jobs and no county was more severely distressed by these losses than McDowell County. (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(10 of14)
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In the 1990s, the United States Steel Corporation closed all mines and facilities operated in McDowell county, terminating more than 1,200 jobs. (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(11 of14)
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In 2013, McDowell County ranked second from the bottom in the life expectancy of both male and female residents. Males in McDowell County lived an average of 63.5 years and females lived an average of 71.5 years. (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(12 of14)
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McDowell County Commissioner Cecil Dale Patterson: "All these years we voted for politicians that promised everything and did nothing. Our county is dying and nobody cares. So, this time we voted for somebody out of this group. I don't know if he will do what he said, but let's give this man a chance. Look at us, we have nothing to lose!" (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(13 of14)
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Welch resident Jack Bailey: "I'm a registered Democrat, but the Democratic Party ain't for the working people anymore. Hillary Clinton lied on so many issues that I can't trust her for anything." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
(14 of14)
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As the poverty is rising, drug trafficking and addiction became a major problem in McDowell County. Gary Gilbert was a drug addict for more than 20 years and the last two years is clean; as he said "Life here is really hard. There are no jobs, no money, no future. So, when you are high you don't feel the depression, you are happy. I couldn't vote but if I could I will vote for Trump cause I believe he will bring back our jobs." (credit:Dimitrios Manis)
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