Joe Biden Wins Georgia, Per AP Call, Following State’s Release Of Hand Recount

Enlarge this image

Gwinnett County election workers handle ballots Monday in Lawrenceville, Ga., as part of the state’s recount for the 2020 presidential election.

hide caption

toggle caption

Megan Varner/Getty Images

Loading…

There is no mandatory recount law in Georgia, but state law does allow for a recount if the margin is less than .5%. It currently stands at .3%.

Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the hand audit last week, citing the close margin of the race.

Elections
Trump Hasn’t Conceded Georgia. Neither Did Stacey Abrams. What Changed?

The four counties with new vote totals must recertify their results. Statewide election results must be certified by Friday. The Trump campaign then has until Tuesday to request an additional recount, which would be by machine rather than by hand.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of Georgia’s vote counting, calling it both a «joke» and a process that led to «fraudulent votes» being found.

But Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s voting system implementation manager, said on Wednesday that the system is working exactly the way it is intended.

«The irony of [Trump] saying ‘fraudulent votes have been found’ — he has gained in the finding of these votes,» he said.

Updates: 2020 Election Results
Georgia’s Brad Raffensperger: National GOP Figures Didn’t Understand Our Laws

Raffensperger has said he’s been pressured by top Republicans to find ways of disqualifying ballots that hurt the Trump campaign.

«They say that as pressure builds, it reveals your character, it doesn’t change your character. Some people aren’t behaving too well with seeing where the results are,» Raffensperger told NPR’s Ari Shapiro on Tuesday.

«At the end of the day, I want voters to understand that when they cast their ballot in Georgia, it will be accurately counted. You may not like the results and I get that. I understand how contentious it is. But you can then respect the results.»