WISCONSIN (NBC 26) -- On Thursday the Wisconsin Elections Commission reached out to county clerks to discuss the potential of a statewide presidential election recount. Earlier this week, the Trump campaign announced that they planned to request a recount in Wisconsin, which under Wisconsin law could be done once county clerk's offices finish their official counting.
Fond du Lac County's Clerk Lisa Freiberg says once county board canvassers finish their official count and certify them, the president has three days to submit a petition for a recount. The last day the president's administration could do that would be on November 20th.
"All the ballots are now back on county property; they are locked in a very secure place. I am waiting to hear more before I even touch those boxes."
If a request is made, the candidate requesting the recount would have to cover the cost associated with the effort. On Thursday, some county clerks began estimating such expenses because a candidate is expected to pay for the service before election officials proceed. In 2016, the Green Party made such a request and it cost the party more than 3-million dollars.
The recount according to Brown County's Clerk Sandy Juno, would have to be completed within 13 days of the president's request. She adds right now she anticipates most clerks would be prepared to start the process of a recount, if asked to do so, by late November.
"That would allow me enough time to secure a location and enough people to work at the recount."
If a recount is requested, Juno believes it likely would mean that Wisconsin would have its second count of ballots completed, sometime in early December.
