The Latest: Michigan high court denies vote recount appeal


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LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Latest on efforts for recounts of the presidential race in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

The Michigan Supreme Court has turned down an appeal by Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein to restart a vote recount in the state.

The state high court denied the appeal Friday by a vote of 3-2. Earlier, two judges who made Republican President-elect Donald Trump's list of possible U.S. Supreme Court nominees had removed themselves form the case.

The denial comes two days after a federal judge ended the recount, which began Monday. The judge tied his decision to a state court ruling that found Stein had no legal standing to request the recount.

Trump narrowly defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Michigan. Stein received only about 1 percent of the vote.

Stein's recount case had only a remote chance to succeed before Michigan's high court: Three of the five justices were nominated by Republicans.

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3:30 p.m.

A federal judge in Pennsylvania says he'll rule Monday on a Green Party-backed bid seeking a recount of paper ballots cast in the state's Nov. 8 presidential election.

Judge Paul S. Diamond made the announcement Friday afternoon after listening to arguments in Philadelphia.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein's lawyers argue that it's possible that computer hacking occurred, although opponents say they have presented no such evidence.

An expert in computer science and voting systems for the secretary of state's office testified that he thought the chance of hacking was about as likely as "androids from outer space living among us."

Diamond also raised concerns about the possibility of what he called disenfranchising all 6 million Pennsylvania voters if the election is not certified by the Dec. 13 deadline.

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1:30 p.m.

The recount of Wisconsin's presidential election vote is nearly finished.

State election officials announced Friday that 89 percent of total ballots cast for president have been counted and 60 of the state's 72 counties had finished their work. So far, Democrat Hillary Clinton has gained 49 votes on Republican Donald Trump, who defeated Clinton by more than 22,000 votes in the state.

The recount began Dec. 1. A federal judge on Friday refused to grant Trump supporters' request to halt the recount, saying it was nearly complete and likely won't change the results.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested the recount as part of a broader effort to recount votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states where Trump narrowly beat Clinton. Stein got about 1 percent or less in each of the three states.

Stein says she wants to determine whether election computers were hacked.

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9:50 a.m.

A federal judge has refused to halt Wisconsin's presidential recount.

Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 22,000 votes in the state. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested the recount to determine if election machines were hacked.

Two pro-Trump groups, the Great America PAC and the Stop Hillary PAC, filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 1, the day the recount began, seeking to stop the process. Judge James Peterson refused to grant their request Friday, noting the recount is nearly complete and there's virtually no chance the recount will change the results of the election.

He called their lawsuit dead on arrival and said he would decide whether to dismiss the lawsuit outright within the next few days.

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9:30 a.m.

Two Michigan Supreme Court members who made President-elect Donald Trump's list of possible U.S. Supreme Court nominees have removed themselves from consideration of an appeal by Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein to restart a recount.

Chief Justice Robert Young and Justice Joan Larsen removed themselves from the case on Friday. The removals come two days after a federal judge ended the recount that began Monday. He tied his decision to a state court ruling that found Stein had no legal standing to request the recount.

Stein then appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court. It still has only a remote chance to succeed before the high court. Three of the five remaining justices were nominated by the GOP. Those five members haven't yet decided whether to take the case.

A Green Party-backed recount nearly completed in Wisconsin is being challenged in federal court there on Friday. Stein is also asking a federal court to start a recount in Pennsylvania on Friday.

Trump narrowly defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in all three states. Stein received only about 1 percent of the vote in each.

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1 a.m.

A federal judge is set to consider halting Wisconsin's presidential recount.

Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 22,000 votes in the state. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested the recount to determine if election machines were hacked.

Two pro-Trump groups, the Great America PAC and the Stop Hillary PAC, filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 1, the day the recount began, seeking to stop the process. Judge James Peterson has scheduled a hearing Friday in Madison.

Wisconsin's recount was more than 82 percent complete as of Wednesday. So far Clinton has gained 61 votes.

Stein wants recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania, too. A federal judge in Michigan has halted that state's recount. A federal judge in Pennsylvania will hold a hearing Friday on whether that recount can begin.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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