WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Lawyers for Donald Trump have formally complained about the state of Michigan’s pending recount of votes from the US presidential election last month, casting doubt as to whether the process will occur, the Michigan secretary of state’s office announced in a press release.
“The Michigan Bureau of Elections today received an objection from representatives of Donald J. Trump regarding the presidential election recount that was filed yesterday by Green Party nominee Jill Stein,” Thursday’s release stated.
Under state law, the elections bureau must address the Trump complaint within five days, and it is scheduled to consider a resolution on Friday, according to the release. If the bureau rejects the complaint, the recount will begin on the second business day following the decision, the release explained. Accepting the complaint would mean the recount won’t happen.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein formally requested on Wednesday that Michigan undertake a recount of votes cast for the November 8 election, although the New York City doctor received fewer than 51,000 votes, or about 1 percent of the statewide total.
In addition to Michigan, Stein and her party have launched donor-backed campaigns for recounts in the states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, both of which Trump also won.
If the results for Trump remain intact in all three states, as is expected, the incoming president would have 306 votes in the Electoral College, compared with 232 for Clinton. A total of 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency.
