House Approves Recounts Only If Candidate Has Chance To Win

From the Associated Press — Political candidates could ask for a recount only if they have a reasonable chance of winning under legislation advancing in Michigan. The House approved the bill 98-10 Wednesday. It’s a response to Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein’s recount request last year, even though she won just 1 percent of the vote. The legislation would codify a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling that said “aggrieved” candidates can ask for a recount only if they can allege a good faith belief that but for fraud or mistake, they would have had a reasonable chance of winning the election. The bill moves to the Senate for consideration next. Another bill that’s pending would make candidate pay more for a recount if they are down by more than 5 percentage points.