Michigan Moves Ahead With Election Recount After Trump Win
LANSING (WWJ) - A by-hand recount of Michigan's presidential election is going forward.
Attorney Mark Brewer, appearing in Lansing Monday on behalf of Jill Stein — the Green Party candidate who is challenging Republican Donald Trump's win in Michigan — said it's true that there's no proof there was any fraud or wrongdoing on Nov. 8, but to ensure the integrity of the election a recount is necessary.
Stein will have to pay $125 per precinct – 6,300 in Michigan – for a total cost of $787,500.
State Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said over the weekend that they have been in touch with the Trump campaign.
" … and our legal counsel to make sure that we'll have the volunteers that we need – that they will be trained and that we can make sure that it's a fair recount process," Romney McDaniel said, adding that the GOP suspects Democrat Hillary Clinton has been working with Stein on this behind the scenes.
WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports attorneys for the Trump camp, in the audience Monday, argued that the recount should be done by machine and not by hand, but the state Board of State Canvassers disagreed
Earlier Monday, the board certified Trump's relatively narrow 10,704-vote victory — giving the Republican 306 electoral votes to Democrat Hillary Clinton's 232.
The two-tenths of a percentage point margin, out of 4.8-million votes, is the closest presidential race in Michigan in more than 75-years.
Skubick said the recount will begin "very soon" — perhaps as early as this Friday. Chris Thomas, director of Michigan's Bureau of Elections, hopes to have the recount completed by Dec. 13.
"That is a tough deadline but Mr. Chris Thomas says we can reach it," Skubick reported. "So, it's not over yet."
Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, was asked if he supports the recount effort.
"That's just part of the process," the governor said. "I believe all reports we have is that the elections were well held here, well done, and that's one of the prerogatives for candidates to look at."
Snyder, who did not endorse Trump during the campaign, tweeted Monday that it's time for the President-elect and his VP Mike Pence to focus on governing.
No ballot problems in MI. Let's move past politics. @realDonaldTrump & @mike_pence need to focus on important job of governing.
— Rick Snyder (@onetoughnerd) November 28, 2016