Michigan recount now in doubt; Pennsylvania sets hearing

Michigan Secretary of State spokesman Fred Woodhams told the Free Press that Stein will have to pay for the precincts that had been counted.

More than 20 of 83 counties already were counting ballots again.

In Pennsylvania on Monday, Stein filed a suit in federal court to try to impose a statewide recount of presidential votes there.

The ruling, issued on Wednesday evening, seals Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s narrow electoral victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the traditionally blue state. Republican Donald Trump narrowly defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in MI.

The chances are slim of a change in the results, but as the old saying goes, “it ain’t over ’til it’s over”. If the recount is allowed to continue, the remaining countable ballots are in counties where Trump won convincingly, indicating he would still hold the victory. With the help of some of these Democrats, Stein raised almost $7 million dollars for the effort, almost double the $3.5 million she raised during the entire presidential election.

Stein’s team hasn’t produced evidence of hacking but called Pennsylvania’s election system “a national disgrace”.

The Michigan elections board voted, 3-1, earlier on Wednesday to end the recount if Mr Goldsmith extinguished his earlier order.

Lawyers for Trump and the Pennsylvania Republican Party argued there was no evidence, or even an allegation, that tampering with the state’s voting systems had occurred.

Stein sued Pennsylvania election officials in federal court, demanding a statewide recount.

In Pennsylvania, a court ruling said voters demanding a recount would have to pony up a $1 million, so Stein said Sunday she’d drop it.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the Republican Party have tried to block the recount in courthouses from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. The presidential recount in MI expanded Tuesday to its largest county, which includes Detroit, and five other counties. The board plans to meet after Goldsmith makes a decision. A federal judge lifted his order that the state continue with the recount until it’s completed. “We’ll probably be talking about the integrity (of the election) for a long time, but it’s clear as crystal to me I don’t have the basis for stopping the recount”.

Trump and his supporters have fought to end the recounts by filing lawsuits.

MI: A recount has been ordered and is underway, but the Attorney General for MI has filed suit to stop it due to taxpayer cost and Stein’s alleged lack of standing.

The political recount avalanche Stein apparently expected never materialized. Since direct recording electronic (DRE) touchscreen voting machines in Pennsylvania produce no paper record against which to audit the vote, such a forensic analysis is the only way to ensure accuracy of the results, experts say.

Attorney General Bill Schuette says the recount now “must stop”.

However, they didn’t want to make anything final until hearing if a federal judge in Detroit will lift the temporary restraining order to stop the recount.

Here’s what’s happening in each state and in Nevada, where a partial recount of the race was requested by independent presidential candidate Roque De La Fuente:WISCONSINTrump had widened his victory margin over Clinton in Wisconsin by 146 votes, with 23 of the state’s 72 counties having finished their recounts as of Tuesday.