Rules for Counts in the US Election Battlefield States, News and Highlights from the United States



[ad_1]

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – President Donald Trump’s campaign called for a recount in Wisconsin, filed lawsuits to stop the counting of votes in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and asked a judge in Georgia to order ballots to arrive. later separate and secure so they cannot be counted.

Below is a summary of the counting laws in some battlefield states:

Georgia

Automatic counting: No

Counting Law: A candidate may request a recount if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5 percentage points.

Deadline: A count must be requested within two business days after the results are certified.

Who pays: State law does not specify who is responsible for the counting costs.


Members of an award review panel examine scanned absentee ballots in Atlanta, Georgia. PHOTO: AFP

Michigan

Automatic counting: yes

Counting Law: A recount is required if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 2,000 votes.

Deadline: The request for a recount must be made within 48 hours after the vote counting.

Who pays: The candidate requesting the count.


An election official scans mail-in ballots in Las Vegas, Nevada. PHOTO: NYTIMES

Nevada

Automatic counting: No

Counting Law: A candidate who has been defeated may request a recount, regardless of the margin of victory.

Deadline: A recount must be requested within three business days after the state’s vote counting.

Who pays: The candidate requesting the count.

Pennsylvania

Automatic counting: yes

Counting Law: A count is automatic if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5 percentage points. Two other avenues for requesting a recount include requiring at least three voter signatures to attest to an error in the counting of votes and going to state court to file petitions alleging fraud and error.

Deadline: At 5 pm on the second Thursday following the election, for automatic counts. If a recount is requested, the deadline is five days after the election.

Who pays: The candidate requesting the count.

Wisconsin

Automatic counting: No

Counting Law: A full or partial count can be requested if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 1 percentage point.

Deadline: For presidential elections, the request must be made by 5:00 pm on the first business day after the state’s vote counting.

Who pays: The candidate requesting the recount, if the margin is greater than 0.25 percentage point of the total vote.


Election specialists pack the bags in a room full of ballots written the day after the election in Charlotte, North Carolina. PHOTO: AFP

North Carolina

Automatic counting: yes

Counting Law: A count can be started if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 1 percentage point.

Deadline: For offices governed by the state board of elections, the deadline to request a recount is 12 pm on the second business day after the ballot. For offices governed by a county board of elections, the deadline is 5 pm on the first business day after the ballot.

Who pays: State law does not specify who pays.


A Trump supporter gestures at a protest over the first results of the 2020 presidential election, in Phoenix, Arizona. PHOTO: REUTERS

Arizona

Automatic counting: yes

Counting Law: A count is triggered when the margin of victory between two candidates is less than or equal to 0.1 percentage points.

Deadline: There is no set deadline for completing a count.

Who pays: Depending on the career, automatic counts are paid by the state, county or city.

For live results and updates, follow our live coverage of the US elections.



[ad_2]