Jill Stein Points To Suspicious Blank Votes While Filing for a Recount in Michigan

Green Party candidate Jill Stein followed through on her promise by filing for a recount in Michigan Wednesday afternoon, citing a high number of blank votes as the reason.

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“I and the undersigned members of my slate of electors, individually and collectively, are aggrieved on account of fraud or mistake in the canvass of the votes by the inspectors of election, and/or the returns made by the inspectors, and/or by the Board of County Canvassers, and/or by the Board of State Canvassers,” the petition reads. The filing can be read in full here.

Receipt of the request was acknowledged by Michigan Secretary of State’s office, according to The Detroit News, which also reported that Stein said “the more than 75,000 blank votes in Michigan’s presidential results were a ‘red flag’ that fueled her desire to seek a statewide hand recount of 4.8 million ballots.”

The Detroit Free Press reported that the recount “could begin as soon as Friday in the state’s largest 19 counties, followed by the smaller counties, with a goal of finishing the statewide recount by Dec. 10.”

“Stein’s campaign handed the Michigan Secretary of State a check for $973,250 on Wednesday,” Local 4’s digital outlet Click on Detroit reported. “The campaign said it intends to pay all fees associated with the recount in Michigan and is currently recruiting volunteers to observe the hand recounts that are likely to take place in 19 sites, representing all 83 counties across the state. Those interested can sign up and get more information at www.Jill2016.com/recountMI.”

Republicans are not pleased and raised concerns about the taxpayers having to fund part of the recount. The Michigan Republican Party had already been trying to recruit volunteers for the recount ahead of Stein’s filing.

“It’s just an unfortunate turn of events that Jill Stein is mounting an effort when she has no credible case as to why a recount is needed,” state Republican Party Chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel said on WWJ Newsradio 950 on Saturday, reported by Detroit local CBS News.

Republicans feel they must have volunteers for this recount, yet at the same time express that there’s no credible reason for it. Nonetheless, Jill Stein has filed for it and a recount will be happening in Michigan.

Sarah Jones

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