Judge rejects Trump supporters' bid to halt vote recount in Wisconsin

A federal court in Wisconsin on Friday rejected an attempt by pro-Donald Trump groups to stop a recount of the state's presidential vote, saying there was no harm in allowing it to continue.

Two pro-Trump political action committees and a Wisconsin voter on Thursday filed a lawsuit and a request for a temporary restraining order seeking to stop the recount, arguing that it was an unconstitutional violation of the rights of people who had voted for Trump.

But U.S. District Judge James Peterson on Friday denied the motion to temporarily halt the recount, saying there would be no harm in allowing it to proceed while the state prepares arguments in defence.

Peterson scheduled a hearing for Dec. 9 on the underlying lawsuit.

• Trump calls Wisconsin recount 'ridiculous'

Trump's supporters alsomovedFriday to prevent or halt election recounts inMichiganandPennsylvania.

All three are states Trumpnarrowly won in the Nov. 8 presidential election. They have less than two weeksto complete the recounts in order to meet a federal Dec. 13 deadline to certify their election results.

The legal actions could cause delays that would make that extremely difficult if not impossible. Even if therecounts happen, though, none would be expected to overturn the results in DemocratHillary Clinton's favour.

Clinton gains 1 vote in Wisconsin

The recounts were requested by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein,who says they're necessary to ensure that voting machines weren'thacked, even though there's no evidence they were. Critics sayStein is simply trying to raise money and her political profilewhile building a donor database.

Our goal is not to change the result of the election. It is to ensure theintegrity and accuracy of the vote.- Jill Stein, Green Party presidentialcandidate

"Our goal is not to change the result of the election," Steinsaid in an opinion piece released Thursday. "It is to ensure theintegrity and accuracy of the vote."

Wisconsin is the only state where a recount is underway. It beganThursday, and one of the state's 72 counties had already completedits recount by Friday, with Clinton gaining a singlevote on Trump.

The lawsuit says Wisconsin is violating the U.S. Supreme Court's2000 Bush vs. Gore ruling because it doesn't have uniform standardsto determine which votes should be counted in a recount. They alsoargue that it threatens the right of due processbecause it may not getdone by the federal deadline to certify the vote, puttingWisconsin's electoral votes in jeopardy.

If states miss the deadline, Congress would allot their electoralvotes.

Stein a 'bottom-dwelling candidate': lawyers

In their filing to Michigan electionboard, Trump's lawyers argued that Stein, a "bottom-dwelling candidate" whofinished so far behind Trump and Clintonthat she couldn't have won, even if some votes were miscounted,shouldn't be allowed to force an expensive and time-consuming recount. Stein got about oneper cent of the vote in all three states.

The Trump lawyers also said in their objection that Stein waited until the last minute to file her recount petition Wednesday, making it impossible to finish by the Dec. 13 deadline.

Stein countered Thursday that Trump's "cynical efforts to delay the recount and create unnecessary costs for taxpayers are shameful and outrageous."

Michigan board deadlocked

Michigan's elections board was deadlocked Friday. Both Republican members voted to prevent the recountwhile the two Democrats voted to allow it, meaning it would beginTuesday or Wednesday unless the courts intervene. It also would be conducted by hand, as Stein requested.

Michigan's Republican attorney general asked the state Court ofAppeals and state Supreme Court to intervene, echoing the Trumpcampaign's arguments.

The Michigan courts appeared unlikely to rule immediately, withone asking for a response from state elections officials by Tuesday.

Pennsylvania hearing Monday

In Pennsylvania, a hearing is scheduled for Monday on Stein'spush to secure a court-ordered statewide recount there.

Republicanlawyers filed a motion that was posted on the court'swebsiteFridayaccusing Stein of engaging in legal antics and saying her recountrequest endangers Pennsylvania's ability to certify its electors bythe federal deadline.

Stein has argued, without evidence, that irregularities in thevotes in all three states suggest that there could have been
tampering with the vote, perhaps through awell-co-ordinated, highlycomplexcyberattack.

Elections officials in the three states have expressed confidencein their results.

Trump defeated Clinton in Wisconsin by about 22,000 votes, orless than onepercentage point. His margin of victory in Michigan waseven slimmer, at about 10,700 votes out of 4.8 million cast.

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