Jill Stein drops Pennsylvania recount suit after failing to raise $1m bond
Green Party fails to raise $1m bond ordered by court but persists in recount efforts in Michigan, Wisconsin and some Pennsylvania precincts
Jill Stein has fought for recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Photograph: ddp USA/REX/Shutterstock
Associated Press in Harrisburg
Sunday 4 December 2016 00.29 GMT
The Green Party dropped its Pennsylvania recount suit on Saturday, ending its bid to have the state explore whether voting machines and systems had been tampered with and the election result manipulated.
Late Saturday, a court canceled a hearing scheduled for Monday, when attorneys for Jill Stein, the party’s 2016 nominee, would have argued their case. Lawyers for the Green Party said they could not afford the $1m bond ordered by the court by Monday at 5pm. Green Party-backed efforts to analyze election software in scattered precincts are continuing, however, alongside efforts in other states.
Stein has spearheaded recount campaigns in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states where Republican Donald Trump won narrowly over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Pennsylvania’s Republican party has opposed the recount, as have Trump’s allies in Michigan and Wisconsin.
An updated count Friday by Pennsylvania election officials showed Trump’s lead shrinking to 49,000 from 71,000 over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump’s lead is 0.8%, down from over 1%, out of 6m votes cast. Pennsylvania has a 0.5%-margin trigger for an automatic statewide recount.
Jill Stein drops Pennsylvania recount suit after failing to raise $1m bond
Green Party fails to raise $1m bond ordered by court but persists in recount efforts in Michigan, Wisconsin and some Pennsylvania precincts
Jill Stein has fought for recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Photograph: ddp USA/REX/Shutterstock
Associated Press in Harrisburg
Sunday 4 December 2016 00.29 GMT
The Green Party dropped its Pennsylvania recount suit on Saturday, ending its bid to have the state explore whether voting machines and systems had been tampered with and the election result manipulated.
Late Saturday, a court canceled a hearing scheduled for Monday, when attorneys for Jill Stein, the party’s 2016 nominee, would have argued their case. Lawyers for the Green Party said they could not afford the $1m bond ordered by the court by Monday at 5pm. Green Party-backed efforts to analyze election software in scattered precincts are continuing, however, alongside efforts in other states.
Stein has spearheaded recount campaigns in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states where Republican Donald Trump won narrowly over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Pennsylvania’s Republican party has opposed the recount, as have Trump’s allies in Michigan and Wisconsin.
An updated count Friday by Pennsylvania election officials showed Trump’s lead shrinking to 49,000 from 71,000 over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump’s lead is 0.8%, down from over 1%, out of 6m votes cast. Pennsylvania has a 0.5%-margin trigger for an automatic statewide recount.