Resources
Jill Stein petition for recount (11/25/16)

Jill Stein v. Wisconsin Elections Commission (lawsuit filed 11/28/16)

Wisconsin Elections Commission recount order (11/29/16)

County recount cost estimates and county methods

Wisconsin Republican Party FEC complaint (11/30/16)

Great America PAC et al. v. Wisconsin Elections Commission (lawsuit filed 12/01/16)

See also:
Wisconsin Elections Commission recount page

Stein for President recount page


Jud Loundbury.  "Why Wisconsin's Presidential Results Are So Unbelievable."  The Progressive, Nov. 30, 2016.


RecountNow
December 15, 2016

Critical New Discovery During Wisconsin Recount: Cellular Connectivity of Tabulators Leaves Door Open to Hacking

MADISON, Wis., Dec. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A huge security hole in our US elections, which allows alteration of vote totals by outsider or insider entities, was discovered during the Wisconsin recount, according to electronic security investigators from RecountNow.org.

A cellular capability is available as an option on the latest Election Systems and Software (ES&S) DS200 model of optical scanner.

"Cellular connectivity at the precinct level is bad," says IT specialist Jim March-Simpson, who, along with forensic investigator John Brakey, discovered and examined the vulnerability, "but the precinct-level scanners can open an internet channel to the central vote tabulator." March-Simpson is referring to a central unit that collects and adds vote totals from a whole region.

"That is the big disaster," says March-Simpson, "and cannot be tolerated in a US election."
An entity with "government-level resources . . . could completely 'own' the electoral process," March-Simpson says. "If the central vote tabulator does not have the best possible security, then even a good hacker with a normal PC can get in," he reports.

Cellular wireless connections can not only link directly with the internet, but they are built to have a longer range and be harder to detect than regular Wi-Fi networks.  There is universal agreement among computer professionals that anything connected to the internet is hackable.

When FBI Director James Comey told the public, and Congress specifically, that none of our election equipment is connected to the internet, perhaps he was unaware of these connections or did not fully understand their implications.  It is possible that no government agency ever examined, tested or certified this newest equipment.

There are currently over 26,500 ES&S DS200 optical scan vote-counting machines in 25 states. It is not yet known how many of them have the cellular capability at present, nor whether other equipment models have the same or similar capabilities. DS200 scanners count ballots electronically; ballots are fed in by hand but are counted by a computer inside in accordance with programmable instructions.

"This is a huge discovery that totally changes the rather blanket assurances of election security," stated Jonathan Simon of RecountNow. "Gaping vulnerabilities such as these, coupled with the statistical red flags that have appeared in places where these vulnerable machines have been used to count votes, call for immediate and thorough federal investigation of the electoral results to which they contributed."

March-Simpson and Brakey are working with the support of several non-partisan, nonprofit organizations working to achieve transparent elections, AuditZ, ProtectOurVote, RecountNow, and TrustVote.

RecountNow is a citizens' group of experienced forensic investigators, IT specialists, statisticians, and data analysts, dedicated to fair, secure, and transparent elections.
www.RecountNow.org

Media Inquiries:
Jonathan Simon


Jill Stein for President

For Immediate Release: Monday, December 12, 2016

Dr. Jill Stein Responds to Wisconsin Completing Statewide Recount

The below statement can be attributed to Dr. Jill Stein:

“With the recount finished in Wisconsin, we applaud the countless workers and observers who helped ensure a full recount throughout the state. We however remain disappointed that not all counties conducted a full hand recount, which is considered the “gold standard.” While we were able to beat back efforts by Trump and the GOP to stop the recount, the refusal by some of the largest and most important counties in the state to conduct a hand recount, undermined the ability to get an accurate recount. In fact, Milwaukee County, the largest and the most socio-economically, racially and ethnically diverse county in the state, declined a hand recount, and given the discoveries in Michigan, it is imperative to examine if voters in that county encountered machine errors, manipulations and voter issues on Election Day.

“As this process comes to a close, we must remember that it was still met with attempt after attempt to destroy the recount: a baseless FEC complaint by the Wisconsin Republican Party; a frivolous suit filed by a Trump super PAC whose argument the judge called ‘dead on arrival’; and a last-minute $2.4 million increase in recount cost which was either a disturbing tactic to deter a recount or showed the state’s unpreparedness in conducting one – neither reflect well on the state’s handling of our invaluable electoral system. And while the obstructionist efforts of Trump and his allies failed in the Wisconsin recount, the state has barriers already in place that threaten the constitutional rights of Wisconsin voters, including having some of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the country.

“This recount was never about changing the outcome; it was about validating the vote and restoring confidence in our voting system to Americans across the country who have doubts. The recount in Wisconsin raised a number of important election integrity issues that bear further assessment and serious action to ensure we have integrity and confidence in our electoral system.”


Wisconsin Elections Commission
Date: 
 December 12, 2016

Wisconsin Recount Completed Ahead of Schedule with Relatively Small Changes to Final Totals

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin Elections Commission Chair Mark Thomsen today certified results of the presidential election following a 10-day recount process, confirming Republican Donald J. Trump the winner in Wisconsin.

“Completing this recount was a challenge, but the real winners are the voters,” said Thomsen. “Based on the recount, they can have confidence that Wisconsin’s election results accurately reflect the will of the people, regardless of whether they are counted by hand or by machine. The Commission thanks all those involved in the recount for their hard work and dedication.”

Donald Trump received 1,405,284 votes in the recount compared to 1,404,440 in the original canvass.  Hillary Clinton received 1,382,536 votes in the recount compared to 1,381,823 in the recount.  The original margin between the top two candidates was 22,617 votes.  After the recount, the margin is 22,748.  After the recount, Trump’s margin over Clinton increased by just 131 votes.

During the last statewide recount in 2011 for Supreme Court Justice, the net change in totals between the two top candidates was 312 votes.

“The biggest reason for these small differences between the unofficial results on Election Night, the counties original canvasses and the recount results is human error,” said WEC Administrator Michael Haas.  “Some voters do not follow the instructions and mark their ballots correctly for the machines can count them.  In the tight deadlines to report the results, election officials make math mistakes, we forget things, we accidentally transpose numbers. ”

“That said, this recount was a remarkable job by Wisconsin’s local election officials – county clerks and municipal clerks and their staffs, canvass board members, tabulators – most of whom did not know until the Monday after Thanksgiving that we would likely have a recount of the presidential election in Wisconsin,” Haas said.  “Three days later they were starting the recount, and all counties were done with the counting process within 10 days.”  

“I said from the start that this would be a challenge for some counties to complete, but Wisconsin election officials have risen to many challenges in recent years.  They worked evenings and weekends.  Waukesha County had shifts working until midnight.  Dane County committed to counting every ballot by hand.  Across the state thousands of dedicated individuals put their personal plans on hold to ensure that the recount was conducted accurately and efficiently, and we appreciate their work,” Haas said.

Updated totals will be posted shortly on the WEC website: http://elections.wi.gov/elections-voting/recount/2016-presidential.  Official canvass results will be posted here:
http://elections.wi.gov/elections-voting/results.
 
For more information, contact: 
Reid Magney, Public Information Officer

Jill Stein for President

As of Saturday December 10, all counties have finished their recounts. Many counties have filed their official minutes with the state, and there is no reason to doubt that the recount will be complete by the deadline of Monday December 12

Dr. Jill Stein, the 2016 Green Party candidate for President, filed a recount petition in the state of Wisconsin on November 25, requesting that a statewide recount be conducted by hand. Stein’s campaign is the first-ever multi-state recount following a presidential election, after heightened concern from election experts and across all political parties over hacking and voting irregularities.

Overview of Voting in Wisconsin 

  • Voting in 60 Wisconsin counties is done through optical scan ballots, which are vulnerable to problems and errors. Computer scientists regularly warn about the vulnerabilities of these machines, including that they can be breached without detection and are prone to errors, such as a tendency to misread markings made by voters.
  • Voting in 12 Wisconsin counties is done through Direct Record Electronic (DRE) touch-screen machines with paper records (VVPATs). DREs are susceptible to manipulation and hacking. Many states have banned or are phasing out the use of DRE touch-screen machines over security concerns.

Details on the WI Recount Requests

  • The Stein campaign filed a recount petition with the Wisconsin Elections Commission on November 25, requesting a full statewide recount by hand.
  • The Wisconsin Elections Commission – made up of three Democrats and three Republicans – adopted the recount plans unanimously, specifying that the recount would begin Thursday, December 1.
  • The Stein campaign filed a case in Dane County Circuit Court on November 28 seeking a court order directing that the recount in the state be done exclusively by hand. The Court ruled against the campaign, permitting the counties to choose what method to use for the recount. 47 counties representing 51% of voters opted to do a hand count. The other 25 counties are merely feeding the ballots back into optical scanners. If the campaign wins the court order, officials in each of the state’s 72 counties must recount by hand. If the campaign loses, each CountyClerk will decide on their own whether to do recounts by hand, meaning some counties may perform recounts by machine, feeding the paper ballots through the machines like they did on election day.

What Happens Next

  • All counties must complete their recounts by 8 p.m. on December 12; the Elections Commission staff must prepare the official recount canvass certification by 3 p.m. on December 13. 
  • Our staff and volunteers are sifting through official minutes and observer reports to create a database of election problems. We will use this information to lobby state legislatures across the country to create elections systems we can trust.

Wisconsin Republican Party
November 30, 2016

WISGOP Files FEC Complaint Alleging Coordination between Clinton and Stein

Hillary Clinton’s Campaign is Benefitting from Stein’s $4 million recount

[Madison, Wis.] – It is clear that the only beneficiaries of Jill Stein’s recount are Hillary Clinton and Wisconsin Democrats. By raising and spending at least $3.5 million on this recount, it has allowed Hillary Clinton’s campaign to oversee the recount, join relevant lawsuits and become the sole benefactor of this effort while bearing none of the cost or public scrutiny.

This obvious coordination is in clear violation of federal law governing coordinated expenditures and is a blatant attempt to undermine the transparency of our election process. The Republican Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint with the FEC. That complaint can be read here.

“Hillary Clinton’s campaign has taken full advantage of this recount and it raises serious questions about illegal coordination with Jill Stein’s Presidential Campaign,” said Pat Garrett, spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “Hillary Clinton and her allies have always been willing to say or do anything to hold onto power, her actions regarding this recount are no different.”

###

Jill Stein for President
November 28, 2016

Wisconsin Increases Recount Filing Fee to Outrageous $3.5-million

Friends, I have an important message for you. We need your help to stand up to the powerful forces trying to block our recount campaign for citizen democracy. We received word yesterday that the final estimate for the filing fee for the recount in Wisconsin is $3.5 million – an outrageous cost increase from the initial estimate of $1.1 million that was given to us by WI state elections officials based on the last statewide recount. But thanks to over 130,000 small donors like you, we have enough money in hand to pay this fee and move forward with the recount!

But because of this exorbitant fee increase – bringing the total money required for recounts in all three states to $9.5 million – we need your help. We’re not there yet, and we need every last penny to reach the $9.5 million benchmark. To support the recount efforts, go to www.Jill2016.com/recount and donate today. And share this video on Facebook and Twitter – we can’t let our voices be silenced by this obstruction to this citizen’s movement for a transparent and accountable vote. 

We stand by our commitment to verify that the vote in Wisconsin was accurate and secure and this exorbitant cost will not deter us. While this excessive fee places an undue burden on our efforts, we are committed to paying this cost in order to ensure that the voting in Wisconsin was accurate. It is another sign of a democracy in crisis that ordinary citizens must pay so steep a price in order to assure the validity of our votes. The grassroots demand for a recount in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania will not be stopped, and we look forward to working with the Elections Commissions in Wisconsin and the other states to see this through. In doing so, we are committed to ensuring that a secure vote should not come at such an unconscionable cost. As citizens in a democracy, it should be our right.

- Jill

Jill Stein for President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 25, 2016
Contact: Meleiza Figueroa, Press Director

Jill Stein Files Recount Petition in Wisconsin

MADISON, WI - At 3:09pm Central Time, attorneys on behalf of Jill Stein electronically filed a recount petition to request a recount of the 2016 presidential election vote in Wisconsin, as part of a bid to demand recounts in the three states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Receipt of the filing from the Wisconsin Elections Commission was confirmed at 3:45pm.

The filing fee for the recount request in Wisconsin is estimated to be approximately $1.1 million. After opening a fundraising drive on Wednesday, the campaign raised the needed funds for Wisconsin within a matter of hours. So far, over $5 million has been raised from over 110,000 donors with an average of $45 each. Total costs are expected to be approximately $7 million dollars.

“We are standing up for an election system that we can trust; for voting systems that respect and encourage our vote, and make it possible for all of us to exercise our constitutional right to vote,” said Jill Stein, former Green Party presidential candidate. “We demand voting systems that are accurate, secure and accountable to the people. This is part of a larger commitment to election reform that our campaign and the Green Party has long stood for, which includes open debates, an end to voter ID laws and voter suppression, and ranked choice voting,” Stein added.

“The recount was not filed in order to change the election outcome, which is unlikely, nor to favor any one candidate. We are pursuing this recount to verify the integrity of the election result,” said David Cobb, Stein/Baraka campaign manager. As the Green Party presidential candidate in 2004, Cobb led a recount effort in Ohio which led to election reforms in other states, including the banning of DRE touchscreen voting machines in California and a revamped voting system in New Mexico. The recount also helped to launch a nationwide movement for election integrity.

The three states were recommended for scrutiny by election integrity experts and advocates because of the vulnerability of their voting systems and various indicators of concern - including unexplained high numbers of undervotes, the close results between the two candidates, and observed discrepancies between pre-election polling and the official result. Without meaningful machine audit procedures, a paper recount is the only sure way to verify an election result.

The recount petition will be transmitted to the county canvassing boards in Wisconsin along with a formal request for an estimate of recount costs and a decision on recount methodology. The recount could begin by the second half of next week.

The Stein/Baraka campaign is looking for volunteers to observe the recount in every county. To volunteer, interested individuals can contact the campaign at http://jill2016.com/RecountWI.
Jill Stein for President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 22, 2016
Contact: Meleiza Figueroa, Press Director

Stein/Baraka Campaign Launches Recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to Restore Confidence in our Voting System

Today, the Stein/Baraka campaign announced their intent to file for a recount of votes in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, leading a multi-partisan effort to check the accuracy of the machine-counted vote tallies in these states in order to ensure the integrity of our elections.

Jill Stein observed, “After a divisive and painful presidential race, reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many American to wonder if our election results are reliable. These concerns need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified. We deserve elections we can trust."

In an election surrounded by hacks, the use of systems that have been demonstrated to be easily hacked should concern every American.  Some of the machines used in Wisconsin, have been banned in California after they were shown to be highly vulnerable to hacking and malicious reprogramming, due to the lack of security features. Leading election security experts have been calling for exactly this sort of recount as a critical safeguard against cyberattacks.

The deadline for filing for a recount in Wisconsin is this Friday, November 25th, at a cost of $1.1 million. The Stein/Baraka campaign, along with election integrity advocates, are beginning in a massive [crowd source] fundraising effort to obtain the needed funds before Friday afternoon.

The Stein/Baraka campaign is well positioned to lead the effort as election integrity advocates, without a personal conflict of interest in the outcome.

“Greens have long been at the forefront of campaigns for election integrity,” noted David Cobb, Stein/Baraka campaign manager. As the Green Party presidential candidate in 2004, Cobb led the charge for a recount in the state of Ohio for that election year. “This effort is about holding the institutions of democracy accountable by ensuring all votes that are cast are counted,” said Cobb.

Stein noted, “Assuring the validity of our vote is a critical first step towards democratizing our elections. Other essential steps include ending discriminatory voter ID laws and voter purges (like “Interstate Crosscheck”); opening the debates to all candidates on the ballot in enough states to win the election; establishing Ranked Choice Voting, a system that enables voters to rank their choices, knowing that if their first choice loses, their vote is automatically reassigned to their second choice; and getting  big money out of politics - and letting the people back in."


Jill Stein for President
Details You Need to Know

In 2004, the Cobb/LaMarche campaign demanded a recount in Ohio. Because of their efforts, an election administrator went to jail. We also exposed the profound problems with DRE machines, which helped launch an election integrity movement. That provoked California to engage in a "top to bottom" review of their voting system, which culminated in the abolition of DRE machines.

The Green Party Platform calls for "publicly-owned, open source voting equipment and deploy it across the nation to ensure high national standards, performance, transparency and accountability; use verifiable paper ballots; and institute mandatory automatic random precinct recounts to ensure a high level of accuracy in election results."

Election integrity experts have independently identified Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as states where "statistical anomalies" raised concerns. Our effort to recount votes in those states is not intended to help Hillary Clinton.

These recounts are part of an election integrity movement to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the U.S. election system is.

All money raised goes toward recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. We hope to do recounts in all three states. If we only raise sufficient money for two, we will demand recounts in two states. If we only raise enough money for one, we will demand a recount in one state.

We cannot guarantee a recount will happen in any of these states we are targeting. We can only pledge we will demand recounts in those states.

If we raise more than what's needed, the surplus will also go toward election integrity efforts and to promote voting system reform.

Here are the filing fees and deadlines for each state:

Wisconsin: $1.1 million by Nov 25
Pennsylvania: $0.5 million by Nov 28
Michigan: $0.6 million by Nov 30
Those are filing fees alone. The costs associated with recounts are a function of state law. Attorney's fees are likely to be another $2-3 million, then there are the costs of the statewide recount observers in all three states. The total cost is likely to be $6-7 million.

You can donate up to $22,700 per person by contributing up to $2,700 on this page.