Vote Recounts and Election Contests in Battleground States

Because the 2020 presidential election results in several states were quite close, stakeholders took advantage of various state laws and procedures to allege incorrect vote counts and request recounts. The Trump campaign challenged the vote counts in some states and sought recounts in others. Georgia conducted a risk-limiting audit and two statewide recounts. Wisconsin, at the request of the Trump campaign, recounted votes in Milwaukee and Dane counties. Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania all faced lawsuits that alleged vote-count fraud and sought recounts. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson agreed to conduct a statewide election audit. The Trump campaign and various Republican organizations, candidates, and voters filed 10 “election contests” in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada. None of these lawsuits or contests succeeded, and none of the recounts or audits changed the results of the election. This report surveys the vote recounts and election contests in seven battleground states. State laws differ regarding who can request and challenge vote counts and file election contests, and when and why they can be requested and filed. The Appendix details the canopy of specific laws under which states can order and candidates can request a vote recount or an election challenge.

A final report on recounts and election contests in battleground states following the 2020 General Election.

Final Report / March 10, 2021
Fill 1