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Trump Supporters, Republicans File Legal Challenges to Vote Recount Efforts - 03 Dec 2016 22:58

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[[html]]Dec. 2, 2016 1:24 p.m. ET <br><br>Donald Trump supporters and Republicans filed legal challenges against recount initiatives late this week, putting up hurdles to the recount effort under way in three states. <br><br>Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, filed suit in state court on Friday to halt a recount effort requested by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein in the Wolverine State. Meanwhile, supporters of Mr. Trump filed suit in federal court on Thursday to halt a recount in Wisconsin, citing as precedent the Supreme Court decision Bush v. Gore that halted a Florida recount during the 2000 election. <br><br>The Trump campaign also filed a request in Pennsylvania state court asking judges to dismiss a lawsuit from Ms. Stein requesting a statewide recount, saying in a legal brief that Ms. Stein has commandeered Pennsylvanias electoral process, with an eye towards doing the same to the Electoral College.<br><br>The legal maneuvering may mean the future of the recounts will be decided in state and federal courts in the coming days. All three states are facing a Dec. 13 federal deadline to resolve any lingering disputes about the outcome before the vote of the Electoral College on Dec. 19. <br><br>The recount push has been driven by Ms. Stein, the Green Partys nominee for president who garnered about 1% of the vote nationwide. She has said votes in three states should be recounted, after a prominent computer scientist alleged that there was a possible way for voting machines to be hacked. No evidence of such a hack has emerged.<br><br>Ms. Stein has argued that her only aim is to ensure the integrity of the election results, not to swing the outcome of the election from Mr. Trump to his defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton would need to overcome a large vote deficit and be declared the winner in all three states to affect the outcome of the election. <br><br>As of Friday, Mrs. Clinton had received more than 65.2 million votes in the nationwide popular vote, compared to Mr. Trumps 62.6 million, a difference of more than 2.5 million, according to David Wasserman, an analyst with Cook Political Report.<br><br>Citizens in Wisconsin and across the country have made it clear that they want a recount and deserve to see this process through to ensure integrity in the vote, Matthew Brinckerhoff, an attorney representing Ms. Stein said, adding that they planned to go to court to defend the recount effort.<br><br>About the lawsuit in Michigan, Ms. Stein said in a written statement that it was a politically motivated attempt by Mr. Schuette to stop the recount.<br><br>Mr. Schuette argued that Ms. Steins efforts will cost the taxpayers money with no credible evidence of tampering, hacking or fraud and will risk the participation of the states electors in the Dec. 19 vote that is expected to make Mr. Trump the official winner.<br><br>We have asked the court to end the recount, which Stein is pursuing in violation of Michigan laws that protect the integrity of our elections, Mr. Schuette said.<br><br>In Michigan, Ms. Steins campaign is expected to pay about $1 million of the costs with the state likely to pay the rest. The total cost is unknown but expected to be more than $2 million.<br><br>Write to Byron Tau at moc.jsw|uat.noryb#moc.jsw|uat.noryb <br><br>[[/html]] - Comments: 0


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