Lawsuits seek to block or halt Wisconsin, Michigan recounts

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Lawsuits seek to block or halt Wisconsin, Michigan election recounts

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Latest on presidential recount efforts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania (all times local): 12:40 p.m. Michigan's elections board has deadlocked on President-elect Donald Trump's request to prevent a recount, which means it will start next week unless the courts intervene. Two Republicans voted Friday to prevent the recount, while two Democrats said it should proceed. A state spokesman says the statewide recount requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein will begin Tuesday or Wednesday barring a court order. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, asked the state Supreme Court on Friday to intervene and stop the recount. That motion is pending. A Wisconsin recount is underway, though his supporters have filed a federal lawsuit trying to stop in. In Pennsylvania, Trump is asking a court to dismiss Stein's recount request. ___ 12:20 p.m. President-elect Donald Trump and the Pennsylvania Republican Party have asked a court to dismiss a Green Party-backed request for a recount of the state's presidential election vote. In a filing late Thursday, Republican lawyers accused Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein of legal antics that threaten Pennsylvania's ability to certify its presidential electors by the Dec. 13 federal deadline. A Monday court hearing is scheduled in the case. The GOP argues there's no evidence or even allegations that the state's voting systems were tampered with and that the law doesn't specifically allow a court-ordered recount. Stein has also requested recounts in two other states Trump narrowly won, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin recount is underway. ___ 9:50 a.m. Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have filed a federal lawsuit trying to stop Wisconsin's ongoing presidential election recount. The lawsuit and request for a temporary restraining order was filed late Thursday in federal court in Madison. It was filed by the Great America PAC, the Stop Hillary PAC and Wisconsin voter Ronald R. Johnson. The lawsuit contends that the recount that started Thursday threatens the due process rights of Johnson and others who voted for Trump. Trump won Wisconsin and the recount was requested by Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein. The lawsuit also argues that errors are likely in the recount, as election officials are rushing to meet a Dec. 13 deadline. ___ 10 a.m. Michigan's attorney general has asked the state Supreme Court to block a potential recount of the state's presidential vote, which was won by his fellow Republican, Donald Trump. Attorney General Bill Schuette, like the Trump campaign, argues that Green Party candidate Jill Stein cannot seek the recount because she was not "aggrieved" to the point at which a potential miscounting of votes could have cost her the election. She garnered 1 percent of Michigan's vote. The filing Friday delayed the start of a state election board meeting to consider Trump's request to block the hand recount of all 4.8 million ballots cast in Michigan. Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Michigan by 10,700 votes. A recount is already underway in Wisconsin. Stein also wants a court-ordered statewide recount in Pennsylvania. ___ 8:40 a.m. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he doesn't think the presidential recount ongoing in his state will result in any significant change in the results. Donald Trump won Wisconsin by about 22,000 votes, or less than 1 percentage point, over Hillary Clinton. Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein requested the recount which began on Thursday and has to be completed by Dec. 13. Walker told reporters Friday that he assumes the results will be fairly similar once the recount is done. He says, "Anytime there's a canvass or a recount there's slight adjustments" but he doesn't expect Trump's margin of victory to change much. Walker also says he's open to changing Wisconsin law to prevent candidates like Stein who have no chance of winning in a recount to request one. ___ 12:03 a.m. Michigan's elections board will consider President-elect Donald Trump's request to block a hand recount of all 4.8 million ballots cast in the state he won by 10,700 votes over Hillary Clinton. Arguments will be heard Friday. A recount is already underway in Wisconsin, where the first reporting of numbers is expected Friday. In Pennsylvania, a hearing is scheduled for Monday on Stein's push to secure a court-ordered statewide recount. Recounts aren't expected to flip nearly enough votes to change the outcome in any of the three states. Lawyers for the Trump campaign argue that Green Party candidate Jill Stein can't seek the recount in Michigan because she wasn't "aggrieved" to the point where potential miscounting of votes could have cost her the election. She garnered 1 percent of Michigan's vote.

The Latest: Michigan board deadlocks, removes recount hurdle