Here's how presidential election recounts work in key swing states

As Election Day arrives, polling still shows razor-thin margins betwixt Vice President Kamala Harris and erstwhile President Donald Trump successful battleground states.

If nan existent ballot separator remains that bladed successful immoderate states, it is imaginable that automatic recounts could beryllium triggered aliases that a run could petition a recount, depending connected that state's rules.

A recent analysis of statewide recounts successful wide elections from 2000-2023 by nan defense group FairVote recovered that statewide recounts successful wide elections are very uncommon and usually person not changed overmuch of nan ballot count. Recounts person almost ne'er changed nan state's victor of a statesmanlike election, though successful 1960, a recount successful Hawaii changed nan winner of nan state's Electoral College votes from Richard Nixon to John F. Kennedy.

More caller statesmanlike recounts person not impacted nan victor successful nan states they were held in, including nan attempted 2000 recount successful Florida meant to woody pinch a razor-thin separator betwixt George W. Bush and Al Gore, which nan Supreme Court halted. (If Florida's results had flipped, Al Gore would person won that election.)

In 2020, Donald Trump's run requested recounts successful Georgia (after nan caput of authorities had already undertaken a recount) and immoderate Wisconsin counties. In 2016, nan run of Green Party campaigner Jill Stein requested a recount that was afloat undertaken successful Wisconsin, and requested 1 successful Michigan (which was halted) and Pennsylvania (which was denied).

Here's what to cognize astir nan rules that govern if and really statesmanlike title recounts are conducted successful each of nan 7 battleground states.

The "canvass of nan vote" discussed beneath refers to nan region and/or authorities procedures that compile, confirm, and validate each ballot cast. Recount rules whitethorn alteration for different races, specified arsenic legislature aliases mayoral races. An "automatic recount" intends a recount that is mandated by authorities rule because of nan results; nan word does not bespeak really votes are recounted.

Voting booths are seen present successful this undated banal photo.

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Arizona

A recount is automatically triggered successful Arizona if nan separator betwixt nan 2 candidates who received nan astir votes is adjacent aliases little than half a percent of nan full votes cast, according to Arizona law. The recount must beryllium completed 5 days aft nan canvass of nan ballot is completed, which is Nov. 30.

It is not imaginable for a candidate, statement aliases voters to petition a recount successful Arizona. (A Republican-aligned review of predetermination results successful Arizona's Maricopa County successful 2021 was not a state-run recount and recovered nary grounds that changed nan results successful nan county.)

Georgia

According to Georgia law, a campaigner tin inquire for a recount wrong 2 days of results being certified if nan separator betwixt nan candidates is little than half a percent constituent of nan vote. Election officials tin besides petition recounts if they deliberation location is an rumor pinch nan results, while nan caput of authorities tin inquire for a recount if a campaigner petitions them astir a suspected issue. There is nary definitive deadline for a recount to beryllium completed.

There are nary automatic recounts successful Georgia.

Michigan

According to Michigan law, an automatic recount is triggered successful statewide races if nan separator betwixt nan apical 2 candidates is 2,000 votes aliases less.

A campaigner tin petition for a recount if a fewer requirements are met, including "a good-faith belief that but for fraud aliases mistake, nan campaigner would person had a reasonable chance of winning nan election," according to Michigan law. The petition needs to beryllium revenge wrong 48 hours of nan canvass of votes being completed.

Recounts must beryllium completed wrong 30 days of nan extremity of nan play that candidates are allowed to record petitions challenging results, aliases wrong 30 days of erstwhile recounts are allowed to begin.

(New laws changing really recounts tin beryllium done successful Michigan were signed into rule this year, but will not beryllium successful effect for nan 2024 election.)

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Nevada

A campaigner for statesmanlike elector -- specifically an Electoral College elector, not nan campaigner -- tin petition a recount successful Nevada up to nan 13th time pursuing nan election, according to Nevada statutes. The requester needs to deposit nan estimated costs of nan recount pinch nan caput of state, but gets nan deposit refunded if nan recount results successful a alteration successful nan winner.

The recount needs to beryllium started wrong a time aft being requested and vanished wrong 5 days.

There is simply a much wide statute successful Nevada rule that allows statewide candidates to petition recounts, but this does not use to statesmanlike races, according to Nevada-based lawyer and predetermination rule master Bradley Schrager. Rather, nan circumstantial and much caller statute overrides nan much wide one, truthful nan recount petition would person to travel from nan statesmanlike elector.

"In practice, that's not really significant, however, because immoderate elector campaigner would travel nan guidance of his aliases her statesmanlike candidate," Schrager said.

There are nary automatic recounts successful Nevada.

North Carolina

A statesmanlike campaigner tin petition a recount successful North Carolina if nan separator betwixt nan candidates is little than half a percent constituent aliases 10,000 votes, whichever is less, according to authorities law. (The North Carolina State Board of Elections told ABC News that nan period this twelvemonth will apt beryllium 10,000 votes.)

The campaigner needs to inquire for a recount by noon connected nan 2nd time aft nan region canvassing of nan vote. (In 2024, that time is Tuesday, Nov. 19.)

There are cases wherever a requested recount would trigger an automatic recount arsenic well, but nan predetermination results themselves do not trigger automatic recounts successful North Carolina.

Voting booths are seen present successful this undated banal photo.

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Pennsylvania

An automatic recount is triggered successful Pennsylvania if nan separator betwixt nan candidates is wrong half a percent of nan vote.

The recount must statesman "no later than" nan 3rd Wednesday aft Election Day and beryllium done by noon connected nan adjacent Tuesday, according to guidance published by nan Pennsylvania Department of State.

Candidates themselves cannot petition recounts successful Pennsylvania.

Wisconsin

In a statesmanlike race, immoderate statesmanlike campaigner tin petition a recount if nan separator betwixt nan candidates that sewage nan astir votes is 1 percent aliases little of nan full votes cast, according to Wisconsin authorities statutes. The campaigner must petition it wrong nan first time aft nan canvass of nan ballot is completed.

The authorities itself pays if nan separator is 0.25% of nan ballot aliases less; if it is larger, past nan campaigner who requested nan recount must pay. (They person a refund if nan predetermination consequence changes owed to nan recount.)

The recount must beryllium completed wrong 13 days of being ordered.

There are nary automatic recounts successful Wisconsin.

ABC News' Quinn Scanlan and Mitch Alva contributed to this report.