WRN file photo
State election officials estimate the cost of doing a recount of the presidential vote in Wisconsin will be $3.9 million.
The total is based on figures provided to the Wisconsin Elections Commission by clerks around the state, and accounts for the need to complete the process in just 12 days. In some counties with large vote totals, extra staff may have to be brought in and counting done around the clock to complete the recount within the time frame.
WEC administrator Mike Haas said clerks did their best to come up with an estimate on short notice, after recount petitions were filed just last week. “The estimates may vary widely as some clerks may not have been able to precisely identify their estimated costs in the short time available to them. If the estimate turns out to be too high, the campaign will receive a refund. If the estimate is too low, they will have to pay the additional cost,” Haas said in a statement.
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and independent “Rocky” Roque De La Fuente requested the recount, citing concerns about the integrity of some voting machines used in the state. Stein has so far raised about $6.3 million to fund recount efforts in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
In order for the recount to move ahead as planned on Thursday, one or both of the candidates who asked for it will have come up with the money by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
EDIT: The WEC announced Tuesday afternoon that a spreadsheet error caused them to incorrectly calculate the total cost of the recount. The revised cost estimate has climbed from $3.5 million to $3.9 million.