Elections & terms
recount
Recounting ballots in a close race. Some states trigger one automatically at a set margin; others require a candidate request, sometimes with a deposit.
In full
Recounts rarely change outcomes, because they correct small counting errors rather than large ones. Their real value is verification. Rules differ on the trigger margin, who pays, whether the recount is by hand or machine, and how disputed ballots are adjudicated, and those rules are set well before anyone knows who benefits.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.