Ballotpedia's Daily Brew 12-15-17: Correct quiz answer

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#FridayFact Answer

During this week’s close special election in Alabama, onlookers had one important question on their minds: What does state law say about recounts? Former U.S. attorney Doug Jones (D) defeated former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (R) for the U.S. Senate seat previously occupied by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but the margin was narrow: 1.5 percent of votes separate the two.

This week's #FridayFact asked: According to Alabama law, when is an election recount triggered? You chose from the following responses:

• When the margin of victory is ≤ 0.5%
• When the losing candidate requests and pays for it
• Both of the above
• None of the above

The correct answer was both of the above. In Alabama, state law provides for automatic recounts when the margin of victory is less than 0.5 percent. When the margin of victory falls beyond this automatic trigger point, candidates for select offices may request a recount. The candidate requesting such a recount is liable for all costs associated with it. It is unclear, however, whether candidates for congressional office are entitled to request recounts. On CNN on December 12, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) said that any candidate can request a recount. The relevant state statutes, however, do not explicitly state that candidates for the U.S. Senate or U.S. House can request recounts. Other offices for which candidates may request recounts are directly identified in the relevant statutes.

Read more about the U.S. Senate special election in Alabama and the state's recount laws.