Michigan Officials: Stein’s Recount Demand Odd for Candidate Who Got 1% of State Vote

Failed Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein officially filed a petition for recount in the state of Michigan, but state officials find the request odd, since Stein got a mere one percent of the state’s vote.

Stein filed her petition on Wednesday, insisting that the election had been “tarnished,” CBS News reported. Stein said in a statement:

After a presidential election tarnished by the use of outdated and unreliable machines and accusations of irregularities, people of all political persuasions are asking if our election results are reliable. We must recount the votes so we can build trust in our election system. We need to verify the vote in this and every election so that Americans can be sure we have a fair, secure and accurate voting system.

But after already calling the state for Donald Trump by a 10,704 vote majority, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson seemed confused by Stein’s demand.

In a statement Johnson said that it was “unusual” for a candidate who got such a tiny sliver of the state’s vote to call for a recount that would have no effect on her final standing. The recount was also pointless, Johnson said, because “There is no evidence of hacking or fraud, or even a credible allegation of any tampering.”

Another problem with Stein’s filing is the cost.

Upon filing the petition, Stein’s representatives paid some fees, but estimates of the total cost may outstrip the amounts paid. According to Fox News, GOP attorney Eric Doster has estimated that the total cost could soar as high as $12 million, which is at least five million more than Stein claims to have raised thus far for all the states she is targeting for recounts.

State officials, though, have initially estimated that the cost will be $787,500 spread over the state’s 3,600 voting precincts.

The recount could begin as soon as Friday, December 2, but state officials say it is highly unlikely that the effort will change the outcome of the election.

Michigan joins recounts in Wisconsin and also a handful of counties in Nevada, the Washington Post reported.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.