Politics

Federal Judge Pulls The Plug On Michigan's Election Recount

The decision comes just three days after the same judge ordered election officials to start recounting the state's nearly 5 million ballots by hand.

Federal Judge Pulls The Plug On Michigan's Election Recount
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A federal judge has pulled the plug on an election recount in Michigan, effectively sealing Donald Trump's narrow victory over Hillary Clinton in the state.

The decision comes just three days after the same judge ordered election officials to start recounting the state's nearly 5 million ballots by hand.

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith stopped the recount Wednesday night after hearing arguments about whether it's actually necessary.

SEE MORE: Jill Stein Is Taking Pennsylvania Recount Efforts To Federal Court

He ended up agreeing with a state Court of Appeals ruling that came down earlier this week. The court decided third-party candidate Jill Stein didn't meet the state's requirements for a recount because she didn't come close to winning the election.

Stein started fundraising for a recount in three battleground states in late November, though many have noted Stein had little to gain from her efforts. She received less than 2 percent of the vote in each state.

But Stein says the issue is far from over. Her attorneys said in a statement that they intend to take their fight to the Michigan Supreme Court.

The statement read, in part: "Make no mistake, we are not backing down from this fight — a fight to protect the hard-fought, hard-won civil and voting rights of all Americans. ... We need this recount to ensure the fairness, accuracy and integrity of the vote."