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Chester County To Recount Votes In Several Precincts

by Jim Melwert

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- While requests from Green Party supporters for recounts in counties across Pennsylvania have been rebuffed, Chester County officials say they have no choice but to approve a request for a recount in hundreds of precincts across their county.

The recount will come at a cost of about $15,000, and will cover 143 of the county's 228 precincts.

While county commissioners and elections board members say they don't expect it will change the outcome of the election, they say under the law they have no choice.

The county's elections results were not certified because of a court battle over a state house race, and the law says if three voters from a precinct request a recount before certification, the request must be granted.

More than 190,000 ballots will be counted by hand, the county says no ballots will be challenged during the recount.

Unofficial results in the county have Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump by more than 25,000 votes.

Jill Stein, who is requesting the recount, received less than one-percent of the vote.

The Stein campaign is due in federal court in Philadelphia Friday to argue a petition for a full recount in Pennsylvania.

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