Jill Stein Successfully Petitions for Vote Recount in Wisconsin; Targets Two More States

image
Published: 25 Nov, 2016
2 min read

Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein has successfully petitioned for a vote recount in Wisconsin, and is expected to push further challenges in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Stein has raised over $4 million on GoFundMe to pay for the recounts, and is now aiming for $7 million to pay for filing and recount expenses and lawyer fees.

Wisconsin state officials confirmed Friday that the state will indeed conduct a recount in the presidential race, a state President-elect Donald Trump won narrowly and helped him secure an Electoral College victory. Stein, who placed a distant fourth in the race, is also expected to petition for a recount in Pennsylvania, another state Trump flipped on Election Day, and Michigan.

https://twitter.com/WI_Elections/status/802264791737716736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable. These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified." Stein said in a statement Wednesday. "We deserve elections we can trust."

The Clinton campaign has reportedly rebuffed attempts to get it to back Stein's efforts. The same reports say Clinton's team is not making a move because there have been no reports of widespread ballot tampering or voter fraud. Even after computer scientists implored Clinton to contest the vote totals in key states, her campaign remains silent.

Recounts in one or all three states would mean a hand count of all the ballots, including the ballots cast on voting machines, which are currently the votes being disputed the most.

"This is not being done to benefit one candidate at the expense of the other," Stein said on the PBS NewsHour. "This is being done because Americans, you know, come out of this election not happy campers."

It is important to note that according to the fine print on Stein's website, there is no guarantee that the funds raised will go to the recount effort. Surplus money, it says, will go to "election integrity efforts and to promote voting system reform." The donation terms do not specify exactly what this means.
Photo Source: NBC News

You Might Also Like

“Cartoon illustration of Americans facing the U.S. Capitol as light pierces through red and blue partisan cracks, representing independent voters and hope for political reform.”
New Poll: Voters Want New Leadership – and They’re Turning to Independents
A new poll from the Independent Center highlights a clear message from the public: Americans are fed up with the current political leadership, and they’re ready for change....
12 Nov, 2025
-
2 min read
Massachusetts voters.
Ranked Choice Voting Momentum Surges in Massachusetts as Cities Push for Local Control
Ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to see a surge in momentum across the U.S. However, the state that has seen the largest reform growth in the last 5 years -- Massachusetts -- has received little attention. This is because the 10 cities that have approved RCV have not been able to implement it due to state law....
14 Nov, 2025
-
5 min read
Caution tape with US Capitol building in the background.
Did the Republicans or Democrats Start the Gerrymandering Fight?
The 2026 midterm election cycle is quickly approaching. However, there is a lingering question mark over what congressional maps will look like when voters start to cast their ballots, especially as Republicans and Democrats fight to obtain any electoral advantage possible. ...
11 Nov, 2025
-
8 min read