A voter in Detroit prepares to cast a ballot. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images) ((Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images))
DETROIT - Voters in Michigan will find several high-profile races on their ballot this year.
From a tight U.S. Senate race to the governor’s seat, there’s a lot at stake in the 2026 election.
With so many battleground seats on the ballot, it’s worth asking, how do Michigan’s recount laws work?
Does Michigan have an election recount law?
Big picture view:
Michigan state law automatically requires a recount in close statewide races.
According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s recount manual, a recount is triggered if a statewide election is determined by a differential of 0.1% or less of the total number of votes cast in a statewide election.
In state senate elections, the threshold is 75 votes or fewer, and for state House, the threshold is 25 votes or fewer.
Timeline:
Under a strict timeline, candidates can request a recount.
Per state law, a candidate’s recount request must be received by either the Michigan Secretary of State or the clerk for the jurisdiction no later than 5 p.m. on the second day after the results are certified.
Likewise, a candidate must be "able to allege a good-faith belief that, but for error in the canvass or returns of the votes, the candidate would have had a reasonable chance of winning the election," the state law reads. "If a candidate for office files a recount petition, that candidate must file that recount petition in good faith and the number of votes requested to be recounted must, at a minimum, be greater than the difference in votes between the petitioning candidate and the winning candidate."
Candidates also have to submit a financial deposit when requesting a recount.
If the recount changes the result of the election, that deposit is refunded. If not, it’s held for administrative costs.
Not a fraud investigation
Dig deeper:
According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office, a recount is an administrative process that is limited to determining the number of votes cast on ballots for each candidate seeking a particular office.
That is, a recount is not an investigation into potential fraud.
If a board conducting a recount believes that there’s been fraud or other violations of the law, they are instructed to refer that matter for investigation.
That means either a county prosecuting attorney or state attorney general would be responsible for investigating potential violations.
The Board of State Canvassers can only refer a matter for investigation to the attorney general if at least one member of each political party appointed to the board concurs in referring the matter for investigation.
Actions taken by investigators would not preclude any official ballot recount.
Who conducts Michigan recounts?
Local perspective:
In Michigan, each county has a bipartisan Board of Canvassers. That board is responsible for reviewing and certifying the election results within its jurisdiction.
There’s also a bipartisan Board of State Canvassers that certifies statewide election results.
State law gives these boards the authority to conduct election recounts.
A county Board of Canvassers is responsible for recounts of:
- County, city, township, village and school district elections and ballot questions
- Probate judge elections in single county districts
- Municipal court judge elections
The Board of State Canvassers is responsible for recounts of:
- Statewide elections
- U.S. Senator elections
- U.S. House of Representative elections
- State legislature elections.
- Judicial elections, except for probate judge in single county districts and municipal court judge elections
- Statewide ballot questions
How long can a recount take?
Timeline:
In a non-presidential election, a recount must be finished by the 30th day after the recount petition deadline.
The Source: This story was written using Michigan state laws and a Secretary of State Recount Manual. It was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.