Recount laws in Michigan
Election recount procedures are adopted and implemented primarily at the state level. These procedures, along with other election policies, are sometimes the subject of debate and reform efforts, given the complexity of these policies and the high-stakes nature of partisan politics.
Michigan voting equipment
- See also: Voting methods and equipment by state
Michigan uses paper ballots for its elections. To learn more about voting methods and equipment in Michigan and other states, see this article.[1]
Michigan recount procedures
A candidate can petition the state board of canvassers for a recount if all of the following conditions are met:[2]
- The candidate ran for one of the following offices: president and vice president, state officers (e.g., governor), United States senators, United States representatives, circuit judges, or state senators and state representatives elected from districts that span more than one county[3]
- The petition "alleges that the candidate is aggrieved on account of fraud or mistake in the canvass of the votes"
- The petition "shall contain specific allegations of wrongdoing only if evidence of that wrongdoing is available to the petitioner. If evidence of wrongdoing is not available, the petitioner is only required to allege fraud or a mistake in the petition without further specification."
- The petition "sets forth as nearly as possible the nature and character of the fraud or mistakes alleged and the counties, cities, or townships and the precincts in which they exist."
The candidate must sign the petition and file it with the secretary of state within 48 hours following completion of the canvass of votes. Candidates for county or municipal office may petition county boards of canvassers for recounts. The candidate must pay a $25 deposit per precinct for each precinct in which the candidate requests a recount. The fee per precinct is raised to $125 if the margin of victory is greater than 50 votes of 0.5 percent of all votes cast, whichever is greater. if the outcome of the election is altered as a result of the recount, the deposit is refunded.[2][4]
Any voter who alleges fraud or error in the canvass of the votes can request a recount. The voter must pay a $25 deposit per precinct for each precinct in which the voter requests a recount. The fee per precinct is raised to $125 if the margin of victory is greater than 50 votes of 0.5 percent of all votes cast, whichever is greater. if the outcome of the election is altered as a result of the recount, the deposit is refunded.[4]
If the margin of victory in any state-level election is 2,000 votes or less, a recount is automatically triggered.[4]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier - Polling Place Equipment - Current," accessed August 6, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.879," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.841," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Center for Election Integrity Minnesota, "Michigan Recount Laws," updated February 2016
