County Recount Yields Eight-Vote Pickup for Clinton
City Times Staff
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gained eight votes following a recount of the 2016 presidential election that ended Dec. 5.
President-elect Donald Trump lost one vote in the recount. According to Portage Co. Clerk of Court Shirley Simonis, the changes came after reviewing write-in votes.
A pool of about 20 local residents, including current and former municipal clerks and poll workers, recounted in a public forum each of the county’s 38,718 votes cast on Nov. 8 over a period of five days, Simonis said.
Prior to the recount, Clinton took Portage Co. by a tally of 18,521 to 17,306. Following the recount, Clinton continued to carry Portage Co. by a 18,529, compared to Trump’s 17,305.
The recount, the first for a presidential election in the history of Wisconsin, was spearheaded by Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
Simonis said the Green Party will reimburse the county for the recount costs, which she estimated to be about $90,000.
