Federal judge halts Michigan recount

A federal judge in Michigan halted that state’s recount of presidential election ballots last night, saying he had to follow a state appeals court ruling that determined Green Party candidate Jill Stein didn’t have a right to ask for the new tally. Stein won just 1 percent of the vote in Michigan. President-elect Donald Trump narrowly won the state, but experts said a recount likely would not change the outcome. Even Stein said she didn’t expect the outcome to change but wanted the recount to ensure all votes were counted fairly. Michigan is one of three states in which Stein asked for a recount. Election officials are continuing to reassess ballots in Wisconsin, and Stein is trying to get courts in Pennsylvania to order a recount there. Trump won both states by narrow margins but had enough votes to avoid triggering automatic recounts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.