MILWAUKEE, Nove 23: In a last attempt to reverse Biden's victory, incumbent
Republican President Donald Trump is seeking to invalidate votes in tens of
thousands in the ongoing recount in Wisconsin counties.
Trump campaign observers tried to stall the counting process by raising objections
and some of their observers were thrown out by security guards in Milwaukee
for being unruly after the counting began on Friday, throwing the process behind
schedule by several days.
Trump observers overcrowded the hall, crossed the yellow line in the counting
hall that keeps observers 3 feet away and engaged in shouting their objections,
holding up the work on Friday and Saturday.
In a change of strategy, in both Dane and Milwaukee counties, the two counties
Trump campaign has asked for recount, they sought to disqualify all absentee
ballots that had been cast before election day of November 3 in-person rather
than by mail.
The recounting going on in the two counties will continue beyond the Thanksgiving
day, Thursday, officials said.
When the recount began in Madison city in Dane county (Madison city is the
capital of Wisconsin) and Milwaukee city in Milwaukee county, the two Democratic
leaning counties Trump opted for partial recount in the State paying $3 m, on
Friday, the Trump campaign raised objections in order to toss tens of thousands
of ballots. But the objections were rejected.
In Milwaukee Trump campaign asked to reject Milwaukee absentee ballots that
could not be reconciled. “I’m not authorized to grant that request for the reasons
stated in the election guide,” board of canvassing chair Tim Posnanski said.
The city’s counting was delayed for two days due to objections to ballot envelopes.
Trump attorney Christ Troupis argued that the ballots be discarded where election
clerks filled in missing address on the certification envelope where the ballot
is inserted.
However, the state elections commission had told the clerks before the election
that they could fill in missing information on the absentee ballot envelopes.
This is just the practice that has been there for the past 11 elections.
The board of canvassers, controlled 2-1 by Democrats, voted unanimously to
reject the complaint.
The charges for recount contained in Trump campaign statement are 1. Altering
absentee ballots; 2. Absentee ballots illegally issued; and, 3. Voter ID laws
circumvented.
The total cost of recount of whole State's votes is $7.9 m. Trump paid $3 m
to Wisconsin Election Commission for recounting in two counties, Dane and Milwaukee.
The certification of the result must be issued by December 1 and therefore
any recount needs to be completed before that, as per the State's election rules.
The recount is in fact to build up a credible case to be taken to the court
as there’s no precedent for a recount overturning such a large margin like Biden's
in Wisconsin. The Trump campaign filed an appeal Sunday over its rejected objections.
In the alternative, the Republicans will be asked to block certification and
choose their own electors for the electoral college, defying the law in Wisconsin
that allows the party of the winning candidate to select the electors, leading
to a constitutional crisis.
Biden's margin in unofficial results is 20,565 votes. Of total votes cast,
Biden received 49.5% and Trump 48.8%.