United States - USNN World News

National News

Former Senate Leader of Minnesota’s Democrats Leaves Party

by USNN2020November 19, 2020January 12, 2021

The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Wednesday night issued an order to recount ballots in two counties following a request by President Donald Trump’s campaign. Commissioners in a video teleconference on Wednesday argued for nearly six hours before ultimately agreeing to conduct the recount. “An order will be issued mandating that the recount take place. This is not a discretionary decision. This is simply what will happen,” Chairwoman Ann Jacobs, a Democrat, said at the beginning of the hearing. But members of the commission, which has three Republicans and three Democrats, debated for hours over how the recount would be conducted. Some said state law governing a recount contained ambiguities. Republican Commissioner Dean Knudson said he believed the commission should issue guidance to canvassers that they should set aside ballots that had a correction made to the witness address. “They’ve essentially filed in advance a mass objection to all such ballots, that in this era of pandemic, and all our concerns for public health, and so on, it’s kind of ridiculous to have the observers have to be close enough to see each one and object individually to each one, when instead, we could give guidance at the outset that says, ‘hey, those need to be set aside, because those are going to be under litigation,'” Knudson said. “I don’t necessarily think that as a commission, we should be pre-determining what ballots are going to be questioned or what envelopes are going to be questioned. That’s not our position,” Democrat Commissioner Julie Glancey said, though the Republican Party of the Trump campaign could recommend canvassers do so. Wisconsin Counts Poll workers check-in a box of absentee ballots at Sun Prairie High School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, on Nov. 3, 2020. (Andy Manis/Getty Images) Knudson sparked stronger pushback when he wondered whether clerks sent out thousands of ballots that weren’t requested by voters as he proposed including written applications in the recount. “I am shocked and offended that you have implied in any way that clerks in Madison and Milwaukee have sent out thousands of unrequested ballots,” Jacobs said. “I think that’s absurd. I think it’s factually bizarre.” “What we ought not be doing is watering that plant of baloney,” she added, referring to allegations by the Trump campaign. The commission eventually approved an order that made no reference to its recount manual, which has guidelines for how local officials should conduct recounts. Trump’s campaign earlier in the day filed a petition asking for recounts in Milwaukee and Dane counties because of alleged “illegally altered absentee ballots, illegally issued absentee ballots, and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin’s voter ID laws to be circumvented.” “The Wisconsin Elections Commission directed Wisconsin municipal clerks to illegally alter incomplete absentee ballots contrary to Wisconsin law,” the campaign added. The commission has said clerks are required by guidance issued before the 2016 election to fix addresses. trump and biden Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (L) and President Donald Trump in file photographs. (Getty Images; Reuters) The campaign also alleged that clerks across the state issued absentee ballots to voters without requiring an application, in direct conflict with Wisconsin’s absentee voting safeguards. The campaign transferred $3 million to the state to cover the estimated cost of the partial recount. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden finished with 20,427 more votes than Trump, or 0.62 percent of the vote, according to unofficial statewide results. State law allows a candidate who ends up within 1 percent of the winner’s total to request a recount. If the margin is less than 0.25 percent, the state foots the bill, but if it’s between 0.25 percent and 1 percent, the requestee must. A full statewide recount can still be requested. The commission chair will on Thursday issue the recount order, triggering a 13-day recount clock. Recount boards can meet as soon as Nov. 19 and no later than Nov. 21. All recounts must be completed and results filed with the commission by noon on Dec. 1, a day that also marks the deadline for the commission to certify results from the election. “We understand the eyes of the world will be on these Wisconsin counties over the next few weeks,” Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief election official, said in a statement. “We remain committed to providing information about the process and assisting our county clerks by providing facts on the mechanics of a recount and status updates.” Jack Phillips contributed to this report.

National News

Wisconsin Elections Commission Agrees to Order Partial Recount After Trump Request

by USNN2020November 19, 2020January 12, 2021

National News

Georgia Recount Witnesses Saw Trump Votes Counted for Biden

by USNN2020November 18, 2020December 28, 2024

National News

Lawmakers at Hearing Largely Agree Section 230 Reform Needed

by USNN2020November 18, 2020June 26, 2024

National News

Mail-In Ballots in Pennsylvania Not Registered in State Data, Hundreds of Voters Say

by USNN2020November 18, 2020February 26, 2025

National News

Trump Campaign Calls for Partial Recount in Wisconsin, Alleges Illegally-Altered Ballots

by USNN2020November 18, 2020August 27, 2025

National News

Georgia Monitor Catches 9,626-Vote Error in Hand Recount

by USNN2020November 18, 2020February 26, 2025

National News

Major developments in key states

by USNN2020November 18, 2020January 12, 2021

National News

Election Contest Claims 15,000 Voters in Nevada Also Voted Outside the State

by USNN2020November 18, 2020January 12, 2021

National News

Third Georgia County Finds Memory Card With Uncounted Votes

by USNN2020November 18, 2020February 26, 2025

National News

Report: More than 300,000 People Have Fled New York City Due to Coronavirus, Crime

by USNN2020November 17, 2020May 11, 2025

National News

Election Voting Machine Secrets Revealed: Dominion Ties to Scytl, Smartmatic

by USNN2020November 17, 2020January 12, 2021

NATIONAL NEWS

Pence: ‘We’ll Have Our Day in Congress’ During Jan. 6 Electoral Challenge

By Jack Phillips Vice President Mike Pence addressed the upcoming Jan. 6 electoral challenge, saying that President Donald Trump and Republicans will “have our day in Congress.” “I ...

DC National Guard Activated to Help Support Police During Pro-Trump Protests

By Zachary Stieber More than 300 District of Columbia National Guardsmen will be in Washington this week to help support police officers patrolling protests scheduled by supporters of ...

Rep. Jim Jordan to Challenge Electoral Votes: ‘We Have a Duty to Step Forward’

By Jack Phillips Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said he will challenge the electoral votes on Jan. 6 because Democrats weaponized mail-in ballot initiatives in key ...

Georgia Rep. Vernon Jones: Vote to Keep Socialism From Our Communities

By Isabel Van Brugen Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones (D-Ga.), a Democrat who is a supporter of President Donald Trump, on Jan. 2 called on voters to back ...

Over 432,000 Votes Removed From Trump in Pennsylvania, Data Scientists Say

By Allen Zhong Pennsylvania election data shows that over 432,000 votes were removed from President Donald Trump during the November election, data scientists say. According to an ...

6-Person Team Briefs Hundreds of State Lawmakers on Election Irregularities

By Ivan Pentchoukov and Zachary Stieber A six-person team that included Rudy Giuliani and Peter Navarro briefed hundreds of state lawmakers about evidence of election irregularities, ...

‘I Will Be There’: Trump Announces He’ll Join ‘Historic’ Rally on Jan. 6

By Jack Phillips President Donald Trump on Jan. 3 said he will join the rally on Jan. 6 and march as the joint session of Congress convenes to count the Electoral ...

Trump: Georgia Secretary of State ‘Unable’ to Answer ‘Ballots Under Table’ Questions; Raffensperger Says It’s ‘Not True’

By Jack Phillips President Donald Trump said that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was unable to answer questions about boxes of ballots being wheeled out from under a ...

Pelosi Reelected as House Speaker in Tight Vote

By Ivan Pentchoukov and Mark Tapscott The U.S. House of Representatives voted 216-209 to re-elect Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) as the speaker on Jan. 3 to lead ...

Trump in ‘Good Position’ for Electoral Vote Showdown: Grennell

By Jack Phillips President Donald Trump is in a “really good position” for Wednesday’s challenge in Congress, according to former Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell. “The Democrats have ...

Facebook Shuts Down Page for GOP Senate Campaigns Just Before Georgia Runoffs

By Zachary Stieber Facebook shut down a fundraising page for Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) just days before voters head to the polls to decide between the ...

Sidney Powell: ‘Definitely Possible’ Trump Retains Presidency

By Tom Ozimek Attorney Sidney Powell told FlashPoint host Gene Bailey in a Dec. 29 interview that she believes it is “definitely possible” that President Donald Trump retains the ...