Dr. Jill Stein Joins Detroit Today To Talk Michigan Recount
Stein: The recount “is an answer to widespread distrust and cynicism that is pretty pervasive out there these days.”
Green Party nominee for president Dr. Jill Stein is heading up efforts to hold recounts in three states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and here in Michigan.
Donald Trump won those three states by narrow margins. Some election lawyers and data experts say there’s reason to go back and look at the ballots to make sure they were counted correctly, although there’s little chance the recounts will change the overall result.
Dr. Stein joins Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson to talk about the recount effort.
The recount, she says, “is an answer to widespread distrust and cynicism that is pretty pervasive out there these days… Confidence is really at an all-time low.”
“And I think after this very divisive election, one thing that people feel good about, that we can actually do right now, is ensure that our votes were properly counted,” says Stein.
Critics of the recount say it’s a waste of time and taxpayer dollars. Stein disagrees.
“Think of it from the voters point of view, because taxpayers are also voters,” she says. “If you want your taxes to be spent wisely, we need to have a voting system that actually responds to us, that isn’t subject to malfeasance and error… Democracy is not free.”
Stein also states most, if not all, of the cost of the recount should be handled by the fee her campaign is paying for it. According to the Detroit News:
State law allows (Michigan Secretary of State Ruth) Johnson’s office to charge $973,250 for the recount at a cost of $125 per precinct recounted. Her campaign is required to make that payment Wednesday before the recount commences.
But Johnson said Tuesday she doubts Stein’s fee will cover half of the cost of the recount, suggesting it could approach $2 million.
Click on the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
