Wisconsin Recount Will Continue Past Thanksgiving: County Official

Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson listens as ballots are recounted, in Milwaukee, Wis., on Nov. 20, 2020. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The recount taking place in Wisconsin will keep going past Thanksgiving, a county official said Sunday.

“The City of Milwaukee has started running their ballots, processing their ballots—finally,” Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The county is behind schedule, which pegged the recount as ending the day before Thanksgiving.

Officials believe they can meet the Dec. 1 deadline to finish but will be working “well past Thanksgiving,” Christenson added.

Christenson’s office didn’t return a request for more information.

Christenson told observers earlier Sunday that they shouldn’t make “unnecessary” objections, the Journal-Sentinel reported.

“Any objections on the grounds that ballots are folded should be disregarded. Any objections on the grounds that there are no initials on the ballots should be disregarded,” he said.

Stewart Karge, an attorney for President Donald Trump’s campaign, responded that the campaign can challenge all early votes cast by mail.

An observer watches as election officials begin the recount process of ballots from the November 3 election at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wis., on Nov. 20, 2020. Scott Olson/Getty Images

An election worker shows ballots to representatives for President Donald Trump during the presidential recount vote for Dane County in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 20, 2020. Andy Manis/Getty Images

Trump’s campaign last week requested a recount in Milwaukee and Dane counties. The campaign said there were alleged “illegally altered absentee ballots, illegally issued absentee ballots, and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin’s Voter ID laws to be circumvented.”

The Wisconsin Elections Commission approved the request and on Nov. 19 ordered the partial recount.

The recount order required the boards of canvassers in both counties to convene by Nov. 21 and complete their work by noon on Dec. 1.

The Dane County recount is taking place in Monona Terrace in Madison; the Milwaukee County one is happening at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden finished with 20,427 more votes than Trump, or 0.62 percent of the vote, according to unofficial statewide results. State law allows a candidate who ends up within 1 percent of the winner’s total to request a recount.

Scott McDonell, the Dane County Clerk, said Monday that workers have tabulated 82,796 ballots out of 345,604.

“We are slightly behind schedule but catching up. So grateful for all who are pitching in for democracy,” he said in a tweet.