Recount laws in Michigan
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An election recount is a process by which votes cast in an election are re-tabulated to verify the accuracy of the original results. Recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. Recounts can either occur automatically or be requested by a candidate or voters.
Michigan law requires automatic recounts in certain situations for statewide and state legislative races. A candidate, political party chair, or ballot measure committee may request a recount, provided certain conditions are met. The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome, in which case the costs are refunded.
Summary of recount laws
The list below shows answers to common questions regarding recounts in Michigan.[1]
- Does state law require automatic recounts?
- Yes, if the vote differential between the two candidates is 0.1% or less for statewide elections, 75 votes or less for state senate elections, and 25 votes or less for state house elections. This applies to statewide ballot measures and all statewide offices with exactly one winner except presidential primaries.
- When must an automatic recount be completed?
- The deadline to complete a recount is no later than 20 days (primary) or 30 days (general) immediately following the last day to file counter petitions.
- Can a recount be requested?
- Yes, the recount can be requested within 48 hours after the canvass if the petition meets the requirements described below. The deadline to complete a recount is no later than 20 days (primary) or 30 days (general) immediately following the last day to file counter petitions.
- Who pays for a requested recount?
- The requester.
- Is a refund available for requested recount costs?
- Yes. Costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome. If during the course of a recount, a precinct is deemed not recountable or is not recounted due to the withdrawal of the request, the costs paid by the requester to recount that precinct are refunded.
- Can a partial recount be requested?
- Yes.
Michigan recount procedures
Automatic recount procedures
Automatic recounts are required if the vote differential between the two candidates is .1% or less for statewide elections, 75 votes or less for state senate elections, and 25 votes or less for state house elections.[2]
The deadline to complete a recount is no later than 20 days (primary) or 30 days (general) immediately following the last day to file counter petitions.[3]
This provision does not apply to presidential primary elections.[4]
Requested recount procedures
A candidate can request a recount if they believe "but for error, a different candidate would have been elected" and all of the following conditions are met:[5]
- The candidate ran for one of the following offices: president and vice president, state executive (e.g., governor), U.S. Senate, U.S. House, circuit judges, state senate and state representative.
- The request "alleges that the candidate is aggrieved on account of error in the canvass or returns of the votes." A requester is considered aggrieved if they are "able to allege a good-faith belief that, but for error in the canvass or returns of the votes, the candidate would have had a reasonable chance of winning the election."[6] The candidate must file the recount petition in good faith and the number of votes requested to be recounted must be "greater than the difference in votes between the petitioning candidate and the winning candidate."
- The petition for a recount is filed not later than 5 p.m. of the second day after the state canvass.
- The petition is filed with the secretary of state.
- The petition is written or printed and is signed and sworn to by the candidate.
- The petition uses a prescribed form.
Additionally, if a state Senate race is determined by 500 votes or fewer or a state House race is determined by 200 votes or fewer, a state party chair may request a recount following the requirements described above.[5] A ballot committee may also request recounts for ballot measures following the requirements above. If no ballot committee participated in the election, any voter who participated in the election may file a recount petition meeting the requirements outlined above.[7]
The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome, in which case the costs are refunded. If during the course of a recount, a precinct is deemed not recountable or is not recounted due to the withdrawal of the request, the costs paid by the requester to recount that precinct are refunded.[8] State law specifies the exact fee paid by a requester depending on vote margin.
The deadline to complete a recount is no later than 20 days (primary) or 30 days (general) immediately following the last day to file counter petitions.[9] If a recount involves the office of president and vice president, the recount must be completed and certified before 3 p.m. on the sixth day before the meeting of the state's presidential electors. If the recount cannot be completed by that date due to a government-declared emergency or court order, it must be completed as soon as possible but not later than 11:59 p.m. on the second day before the meeting of the state's presidential electors.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
For more information about recount procedures in Michigan, click here.
Michigan voting equipment
- See also: Voting methods and equipment by state
Michigan uses hand-marked paper ballots and ballot-marking devices for its elections. To learn more about voting methods and equipment in Michigan and other states, see this article.[10]
50-state overview of recount laws
The table below summarizes where state laws allow for automatic and requested recounts. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, state law in 48 states included a recount provision, automatic recounts are possible in 28 states, and requested recounts are possible in 43 states.
50-state overview of requested recounts
The table below summarizes how requested recounts are paid for and whether it is possible for candidates to request a partial recount. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, the requester of a recount pays for the recount in 23 states, the state pays in seven states, and in 11 states it depends on the circumstances of the election or the recount. In 27 states a refund may be available for a requested recount, in four states a refund depends on the circumstances of the recount, and in five states no refund is available. Requested recounts are not possible in the remaining 14 states. In 27 states a partial recount may be requested.
| State[13] | Who pays for a requested recount? | Refund available? | Can candidates request a partial recount? | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Requester | Yes | Yes | 16-20,21 |
| Alaska | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 20.430-490 |
| Arizona | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 16-661,249 |
| Arkansas | Requester | Yes | No | 7-5-319 |
| California | Requester | Yes | Yes | 15620-15634 |
| Colorado | Requester | Yes | No | 10.5-101-109 |
| Connecticut | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 9-445,6-311a |
| Delaware | State | N/A | Yes | 5702(C,E) |
| District of Columbia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-1001.11(a) |
| Florida | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 102.141,166 |
| Georgia | State | N/A | Yes | 21-2-495,499 |
| Hawaii | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 11-158 |
| Idaho | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 34-2301-2309 |
| Illinois | Requester | Maybe[14] | Yes | 5/22-9.1, 18 |
| Indiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-12-11-1-10 |
| Iowa | State | N/A | No | 43.56 & 50.48 |
| Kansas | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 25-3107 |
| Kentucky | Requester | No | Yes | 120.017,095,185,250,280 |
| Louisiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 18-1451 & 1453 |
| Maine | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 737-A |
| Maryland | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 12-101-107 |
| Massachusetts | State | N/A | Yes | 54:135,A,B |
| Michigan | Requester | Yes | Yes | 168.879-894 |
| Minnesota | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 204C.35-361 |
| Mississippi | No requested recounts | N/A | No | N/A |
| Missouri | Requester | Maybe[15] | No | 115.601 |
| Montana | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Maybe[16] | No | 13-16-201-11 |
| Nebraska | Requester | Yes | Yes | 32-1119,1121 |
| Nevada | Requester | Yes | No | 293.403-405 |
| New Hampshire | State/Requester Depends on election type[17] |
Varies[18] | No | 660:1-16 |
| New Jersey | Requester | Yes | Yes | 19:28-1,2,3 |
| New Mexico | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-14-14 to 25 |
| New York | Unclear[19] | No | No | 9-208 |
| North Carolina | State | N/A | No | 163-182.7,182.7A |
| North Dakota | Requester | No | No | 16.1-16-01 |
| Ohio | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3515.01-072 |
| Oklahoma | Requester | Yes | Yes | 26-8-109 to 117 |
| Oregon | Requester | Yes | Yes | 258.006-300 |
| Pennsylvania | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3154g,3261-3 |
| Rhode Island | Unclear[20] | No | No | 17-19-37.1 |
| South Carolina | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 7-17-280 |
| South Dakota | State | N/A | Yes | 12-21-1 to 37 |
| Tennessee | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 2-17,18 |
| Texas | Requester | Yes | Yes | 211 to 216 |
| Utah | State/Requester Depends on requester[21] |
No | No | 20A-4-401 |
| Vermont | State | N/A | No | 17-51-2601,2602 |
| Virginia | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 8-24.2-800 to 802.3 |
| Washington | Requester | Yes | Yes | 29A.64 |
| West Virginia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-6-9 |
| Wisconsin | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 9.01 & 5.90 |
| Wyoming | Requester | Yes | No | 22-16-109 to 114 |
State legislation
The table below lists bills related to recounts introduced during (or carried over to) Michigan's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
See also
- Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states
- Voting in Michigan
- Michigan
- Voting methods and equipment by state
Footnotes
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "168.879-894," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Compiled Laws, "MCL Section 168.880a," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.875," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.879a," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.879," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.862," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.880," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.867," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.875," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier - Election Day Equipment - November 2026," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "Arizona Recount Laws," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ A court may order a recount under Arizona law.
- ↑ This category encompasses instances where the state government pays for recounts and those states where counties pay.
- ↑ A recount alone cannot change the election results, but can be used to contest the election. At the end of that process, the court may choose not to levy costs against the prevailing party.
- ↑ Recounts occur as part of a contested election. A requester may be required to cover costs before the start of such an event. The court may choose to require the unsuccessful party in a contested election to cover the costs, which could involve a refund to the requester if he or she is the successful party.
- ↑ In the case of a court-ordered recount, candidates must pay, but will be refunded if the outcome changes. Regarding non-court-ordered recounts, state law does not mention whether the candidate is refunded in such a case.
- ↑ The state covers requested recounts of statewide constitutional amendments. The requester covers all other recounts.
- ↑ For local and county ballot measure elections, state law does not mention the possibility of a refund. For all other recounts, costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ The state pays for candidate-requested recounts. The requester pays for voter-requested recounts of ballot measures.
