Federal Judge Rules Against Presidential Ballot Recount in Michigan
Judge Mark Goldsmith’s decision comes a day after the state appeals court ruled against a recount.
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum (right) confers with an attorney from the campaign of President-elect Donald Trump at recount.
A federal judge who ordered Michigan to start recounting presidential votes has dropped his decision, effectively ending a second look at ballots statewide.
Judge Mark Goldsmith acted Wednesday evening, a day after the state appeals court said the Green Party candidate isn’t eligible to seek a recount of millions of vote cast on November 8th.
Earlier Wednesday, the Michigan elections board said the recount would end if Goldsmith extinguished his earlier order.
It was Goldsmith’s midnight ruling Monday that started the recount in Michigan. But his order dealt with timing — not whether a recount was appropriate. More than 20 counties so far are recounting ballots, and some are finished.
The state appeals court said yesterday that Jill Stein doesn’t qualify as an “aggrieved” candidate under state law because she got only 1 percent of the Michigan vote and can’t win with a recount. Stein is appealing to the Michigan Supreme Court.
