Federal judge weighs whether to end Michigan recount
DETROIT -- A federal judge could decide whether to end Michigan’s presidential recount after the state’s second-highest court said the Green Party nominee was ineligible to seek a second look at millions of ballots.
The federal judge who on Monday ordered the recount to begin will hold a hearing Wednesday on whether to stop it. The state elections board also is meeting Wednesday, a day after the Michigan appeals court ordered it to dismiss Jill Stein’s recount petition. The court noted that she got 1 percent of the vote and has no chance of catching Republican Donald Trump, who narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton in the state. The Michigan Court of Appeals issued its 3-0 opinion saying that Stein did not qualify as an “aggrieved candidate” under state law.
Separately, a federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld an order forcing the state to start the recount earlier that week.
Meanwhile, a court hearing will be held Friday on a possible recount in Pennsylvania. A recount in Wisconsin so far shows Trump gaining votes over Clinton.
