(Reuters) – A federal appeals court refused on Tuesday to stop a recount of the Nov. 8 presidential election vote in Michigan that is being sought by Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
The ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld a decision by a lower court judge, came one day after Stein sued in federal court in Pennsylvania to try to force a statewide recount of U.S. presidential votes there.
Stein also pushed for a recount that is under way in Wisconsin, which with Michigan and Pennsylvania, was key to Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.
The Green Party candidate’s moves are unlikely to change the outcome of the election but she has maintained they are necessary to ensure the integrity of voting systems.
Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin defied their recent history of supporting Democratic presidential candidates and handed Trump narrow wins that ultimately gave him victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, filed a lawsuit on Friday to halt the requested recount in the state, which Trump won by about 10,700 votes.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney)
IMAGE: Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein speaks during a news conference outside Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S. December 5, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
