For Immediate Release: Monday, December 12, 2016
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.”