US Green Party Demands Audit of Votes in 3 Key States

The Green Party in the United States is demanding an audit of votes in three key states that could potentially affect the outcome of the election that saw Donald Trump chosen as president.

    The Green Party, which received less than 1% of the national vote, said it wanted the recount "because reported hacks into voter and party databases and individual email accounts are causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable." The Party on Wednesday launched an online fundraiser to get the required $2.5 million needed to pay for the recounts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan--the three states that determined the result of the 2016 race. The deadline to file for a recount is Friday in Wisconsin, Monday in Pennsylvania and Wednesday in Michigan.

    By Thursday morning--less than 24 hours later--$2.3 million had already been raised. Trump beat Democratic contender Hillary Clinton in all three states by close margins. 

    On Tuesday it was reported that three US professors had held a conference call with the Clinton campaign to ask it to file for the audit in the three states. The professors said that actual results differed from exit polls and that Trump had done considerably better in areas where electronic voting machines were used. Clinton excelled where paper ballots were used.  They suggested that a foreign government may be behind the hacks.

    The Obama administration had said before the election that Russia was trying to influence the election through hacking, though no evidence was made public.

    Some experts explained that electronic machines were used in rural areas, which were stronger for Trump, while paper ballots were used in urban areas largely backing Clinton.

    The Clinton campaign has made no statement. But many Clinton supporters have backed the effort online. The Trump transition team has made no comment.

Source: QNA