MADISON, Wisconsin — President Trump’s reelection team has vowed to forge ahead with a recount in Wisconsin, although because of complications with the coronavirus pandemic, that process is not expected to begin until late next week.
While much of the president’s post-election effort has been focused on states such as Georgia and Pennsylvania, which have more electoral sway than Wisconsin’s 10 votes, the Badger State featured one of the closest races in the country, with presumptive President-elect Joe Biden leading by 20,540 votes and 49.6% of the count, compared to 48.9% for Trump.
Those numbers are within the 1-point margin needed for a challenger to trigger a recount, and indeed, Trump’s team has indicated it plans to do so, although it might not begin quite as soon as the campaign had initially anticipated.
Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said in a Saturday call with supporters that the recount process may begin as soon as Monday or Tuesday, although Wisconsin Elections Commission spokesman Reid Magney told the Washington Examiner that canvassing, which must be completed before a recount petition can be filed, may not be over until next week.
“Yes, it will,” Magney said when asked if he thinks that the canvassing process will go until Tuesday, which is the deadline for Wisconsin’s 72 counties to certify their results. “There’s one particular county where they’re not going to be able to get it done until the 17th.”
The elections official said that COVID-19 was to blame in that one county, which was not specifically named. He said some of the people there who are part of the canvass process are sick and quarantined.
Canvassing does not involve recounting votes, but is rather the process by which states certify the unofficial results of elections and make them official. Wisconsin’s canvassing began on Thursday and is done to ensure the integrity of the results. Once that process is complete, the Trump campaign can file a petition with the Wisconsin Elections Commission for a recount.
As of Tuesday afternoon, according to the most up-to-date data from the commission, 23 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have certified their results. Magney said the commission’s web team is currently working on posting the canvass statements (the certified results) from those counties on its website.
Once the final county is in, presumably on Tuesday, the Trump campaign will have until 5 p.m. on the following business day to file a recount petition, and a recount would begin soon after.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Trump campaign several times this week for more information about its plans for a recount and who it plans to put in charge of the effort, but it has not received any response.
Republicans in Wisconsin have raised questions about some aspects of how the election was carried out. One GOP official expressed concern to the Washington Examiner about a large number of people, especially new voters this year, who avoided having to show a photo ID to vote by listing themselves as “indefinitely confined.” Another point of inquiry that Republicans have raised is how absentee ballot envelopes were edited by clerks across the state, particularly about clerks filling in addresses for ballot witnesses, which are required for all absentee ballots in Wisconsin.
Trump himself has expressed confidence about the state of play in the state.
“Wisconsin is looking very good. Needs a little time statutorily. Will happen soon!” Trump tweeted on Monday, tagging his former chief of staff Reince Priebus in the tweet (Priebus used to head the Wisconsin GOP) and former Republican Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is looking very good. Needs a little time statutorily. Will happen soon! @Reince @SeanDuffyWI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2020
