Clinton campaign to take part in state election recounts
This file combination of pictures created on November 8, 2016 shows US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Tampa, Florida on November 5, 2016 and
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Allendale, Michigan on November 7, 2016. MANDEL NGAN and BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
Washington — Hillary Clinton’s election campaign said Saturday it would join in a recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin although it has not seen any irregularities so far in the White House contest won by Donald Trump.
Marc Erik Elias, an election lawyer for the Democratic candidate, said in a post on Medium.com that the campaign would also participate in recounts in the also closely contested states of Michigan and Pennsylvania if they are arranged.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by just over 100,000 votes. The razor-thin victories in those states pushed him above the 270 votes needed for victory in the Electoral College.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein has requested a recount in Wisconsin and has announced her intention to also seek recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves,” said Elias, the Clinton lawyer.
“But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides,” he added.
“If Jill Stein follows through as she has promised and pursues recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will take the same approach in those states as well,” Elias said.
Although experts say there is virtually no chance of overturning the final result, the recounts could reignite debate over the legitimacy of Trump’s election, already fueled by Clinton’s lead in the popular vote, which now stands at more than two million.
She lost by a margin of around 20,000 votes in Wisconsin, 70,000 votes in Pennsylvania and 10,000 votes in Michigan.
