Questions about the recounts

[MichMary]

My husband swears that the Michigan votes have already been HAND-COUNTED, twice, which is why it took so long to come up with the final vote total.

If this is true, what is the point to continuing with a Michigan recount?

[Hoyt]

1. People believe 3rd time is the charm. I'm not sure Michigan has been recounted, but the odds are

so small that recounts are going to change anything.

[MichMary]

2. Hope you are wrong

10,000 votes in Michigan is a pretty slim margin, considering the thousands of votes in S. E. Michigan.

That there were 80,000 ballots with no choice for Prez is really suspicious. My guess would be that it was a machine malfunction causing one (or more) of the optical scanners to pick up nothing in that oval. A hand count would have picked them up, and that's why I was wondering if anyone else had heard or read that it had been done.

[Hoyt]

7. I would love to eat crow on this, but I think we need to move on.

Let's say there are 80,000 ballots that weren't counted, why would we think that will throw the election to Clinton, other than hope. If they were not counted and it goes to Trump, folks will just use that as another conspiracy theory as to why we lost. It's over, it's sad, but it's time to move on as far as I'm concerned. Others can spend the next 4 years with their "Birther" equivalent.

[MichMary]

8. I would agree with you

if there weren't so much at stake.

A mere three weeks after the election, hasn't even been inaugurated, and he has already caused in international incident with a nuclear power! It does not portend well for the future.

[SticksnStones]

21. This may be fake news but I read somewhere the 80,000 no votes were from the Detroit area....

...if that was a machine calibration failure, it's not hard to suspect most of those votes are dems.

Recognizing of course it's a big 'if'

[etherealtruth]

3. I would say that Michigan is the only state where a change in the outcome is possible

The vote totals that will be submitted to the state Canvassers Board on Nov. 28 are:

•Donald J. Trump, Republican: 2,279,543.
•Hillary Clinton, Democratic: 2,268,839.
•Gary Johnson, Libertarian: 172,136.
•Jill Stein, Green: 51,463.
•Darrell L. Castle, U.S. Taxpayers: 16,139.
•Evan McMullin, write-in: 8,177.


Under Michigan state law, a recount is only automatic if a statewide election has a differential of 2,000 votes or less ... the difference in Michigan was a bit more than 10,000 votes which is still a fraction of a percent difference and likely falls into a realistic margin of error in the voting process

[MichMary]

6. Okay,

didn't realize that the differential had to be so little. Thought it might be a percentage--like Pennsylvania's.

[etherealtruth]

4. Curious why your husband believes this to be true?

There is nothing to indicate that there is any truth to the ballots being hand counted ... unless he is privy to information the rest of us in the state and media are not

[MichMary]

5. Seriously,

I don't know. I tried to ask him for his source, and he got impatient with me. He KNOWS he read it somewhere, and I just have to believe him. That's why I was wondering if anyone else had seen or heard anything to that effect.

(It would, however, explain why it took so long to get a final count. And--it may have been within the margin to trigger a mandated recount.)

[etherealtruth]

9. I would think if a hand recount took place it would not be double super top secret

A hand recount would also have been very costly and certainly would not be hidden by many Michigan Counties. considering Wayne County alone this would have been a huge and costly ask that would not (and could not ) be hidden


it took so long to certify the election because we had a significant amount of absentee ballots that had to be counted as well (well over 10,000 that was tRumps number of voters over Clinton)

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/11/28/official-trump-could-object-michigan-recount-request/94542172/

[MichMary]

10. Thanks for the explanation!

I couldn't believe how long it took to get the final tally. But that explains it.

[etherealtruth]

13. I didn't know (until this election) that recounts were not triggered by a percentage of the vote ..

... in Michigan , either.


I am appalled that in our state it requires a 2,000 vote difference which is a ridiculously small fraction of a percent .... 2,000 votes is well below the number that would be expected due to human error alone

[MichMary]

14. I really hope that

one of the outcomes after this debacle of an election is some uniformity among the states. Can't believe how many different ways people vote, how many methods of counting are used, and the differences just among these three states for a recount!

I think some simple changes would make a huge difference in whether or not people will trust the outcome of future elections.

[Skittles]

16. is he a Trump voter?

[MichMary]

18. We have found that it is beneficial

to NEVER discuss our political views.

His father was very involved in politics--as a Republican, and held some offices in their town. This was many, many years ago. Long before the R's went way off the rails.

I am much more interested in this recount than he is. I think he may have said that to shut me down.

[Skittles]

19. good luck to you

I cannot even fucking imagine being married to someone who would actually vote for that disgusting pig

[MichMary]

20. Actually,

I was just about to edit to say that I suspect he was among the 80,000 voters in Michigan who left the top of the ticket blank. I know he has no use for Trump.

[Skittles]

22. better

not by much though

[MichMary]

23. He

has some redeeming qualities. Trust me.

[Skittles]

24. alrighty then

[lonestarnot]

11. I think I smell bullshit.

[MichMary]

12. I didn't know

so I asked. No big deal.

I'm sorry if you think this is bullshit. I had wondered if a recount may have been why it took so long to get the final tally, but another person in this thread knew the details I didn't and enlightened me.

[jmg257]

15. The point of the recount is for Stein to gather

Cash for her coffers.

Why else would she bother other then to gain a few votes and lots of coverage for herself?

[roamer65]

17. Our votes in MI should be recounted, by hand for accuracy.

There have been no recounts so far and our law allows for it to take place.

Your husband is misinformed.