What is a requested recount and how does it work?
Any candidate or political party officer can request a recount in any race. The request may only be made after the Secretary of State certifies the final returns on December 2, 2004 . To finance the recount, the requesting party must make a deposit with the state in the amount of 15 cents per vote for a machine recount and 25 cents per vote for a manual recount. If 2.8 million people vote in the general election, the cost of the deposit with the state would be $700,000 for a manual recount. The cost of the deposit for a machine recount would be $420,000. If the costs of the recount exceed the amount on deposit, the requesting party is responsible for those costs. By the same token, if the cost is less than the deposit, a refund is made of the difference. If the recount, however, changes the result of the election, the requesting party is entitled to a refund of the deposit and is not responsible for any recount costs.
