Trump campaign paying $3 million for recount in two Wisconsin counties

Donald Trump’s campaign is requesting a partial recount in the state of Wisconsin, where Democrat Joe Biden is the presumed winner with just over 20,000 more votes than the incumbent president.

Wednesday evening was the deadline for Trump’s campaign to request an official recount, and they will be seeking a partial one in the Milwaukee and Dane counties, according to a statement. Nearly 800,000 votes were cast between the two areas. 

A statewide recount would have cost nearly $8 million, but focusing on specific counties greatly reduces the cost. The Wisconsin Elections Commission announced they have received a payment of $3 million from the president’s campaign, but no official petition has been filed yet. They expect to receive it sometime today.

Trump’s campaign is alleging that “altered absentee ballots, illegally issued absentee ballots, and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin’s Voter ID laws to be circumvented” are all behind Biden’s presumed victory in the state. Milwaukee and Dane, the campaign claims, are the “locations of the worst irregularities.”

After all 72 counties in Wisconsin were canvassed, Biden won by 20,612 votes. Wisconsin, however, is one of several states Trump has claimed he actually won. 

If the recount were to change the results in Wisconsin, its 10 electoral college votes would be added to Trump’s 232 and taken away from Biden’s 290. The president would still need to flip more state results to win reelection. 

Trump called a vote recount in Georgia this week a “joke” and alleged “thousands of fraudulent votes have been found.” Uncounted votes in the state have been discovered, but have not changed the results. 

The president reiterated on Wednesday his belief that he won the election and voter fraud is behind Biden’s presumed victory.

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