This election year has been unlike any other the U.S. has known, with the global pandemic canceling in-person conventions, relegating fundraising and campaign events to digital zones and driving up the option for citizens to vote-by-mail, instead of going to the polls.
Unless there’s a clear landslide victory, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll know who the president-elect is the day — or even the week — after Election Day. States have more than a month — until December 14 — to count ballots and cast their electoral votes, and given the anticipated surge of mail-in ballots, they’ll probably need the extra time. It’s also possible that one of the candidates won’t agree with the results and contest the election, initiating a recount of votes.
A contested election would not only mean a potentially drawn-out legal nightmare, but it would also make for a staggering bill. Recount costs vary by state and then by county, with cost also hinging on voter turnout. And as for who pays — well, that also depends. Some states foot the entire bill for recounts, while others charge the fees to the contesting candidate — who is typically only reimbursed by the state if the results are overturned. By examining recount data from Pew Research Center along with comments and figures published by Wisconsin and Michigan’s secretaries of state following the 2016 election, GOBankingRates has estimated how much a contested election would cost each state. As Michigan’s Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said after the 2016 presidential election, “[Recount costs] are very hard to predict” — which is why these estimates are so broad in range. Find out what it could cost if the election is contested after you cast your vote this year.
Last updated: Sept. 25, 2020
