Trump campaign files plea for vote recount in Georgia

Washington, November 22

The Trump campaign has filed a petition for recount of votes in Georgia, days after US President-elect Joe Biden wrested the Republican stronghold. Biden became the first Democrat to have won the key battleground state since 1992 after a hand recount of nearly five million votes, that lasted for several days.

Georgia hadn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1992. In case of a recount, election officials in Georgia will have to re-scan the five million hand-recounted and audited legal ballots.

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“We are focused on ensuring that every aspect of Georgia State Law and the US Constitution are followed so that every legal vote is counted. President Trump and his campaign continue to insist on an honest recount in Georgia, which has to include signature matching and other vital safeguards,” the Trump campaign said in a late-night statement on Saturday.

“Without signature matching, this recount would be a sham and again allow for illegal votes to be counted. If there is no signature matching, this would be as phony as the initial vote count and recount,” said the statement.

“Let’s stop giving the people false results,” said the campaign, a day after Georgia Secretary of State, who is also from the same Republican Party, officially certified the election results which was narrowly won by Biden.

After initial counting of votes in the state, Biden was leading by about 14,000 votes, which prompted the Georgia Secretary of State to order a hand recount which reduced Biden’s lead slightly to 12,284. Georgia has 16 electoral college votes.

President-elect Joe Biden has secured 306 electoral votes as compared to Trump’s 232. — PTI

Federal judge dismisses president’s Pennsylvania lawsuit

Washington: Donald Trump presented “strained” legal arguments without merit and “speculative accusations” that were not supported by evidence, a federal judge has ruled as she dismissed the Pennsylvania lawsuit of his campaign, in a major setback to the US President’s efforts to challenge the November 3 election results. US Middle District of Pennsylvania Judge Matthew Brann on Saturday turned down a request for an injunction in the case in Pennsylvania to challenge the poll results. PTI