State Summary
Following statewide primary or general elections, recounts are initiated automatically in statewide offices and ballot measures when the vote differential is 0.1% or less of the total number of votes cast in that statewide election. (This does not apply with respect to partisan offices where more than one individual is elected.) Candidates for a range of offices may petition for a recount outside of this close vote margin. The petition must “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.” Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.862. Party officials may also petition for recounts in elections for state senators and representatives where the vote margin is below a specific threshold. (See “Candidate-Initiated Options” for more information.)
Candidates whose offices are canvassed by the board of state canvassers or who are running for state legislator must file a petition for recount by 5 p.m. of the second day after the day the board of state canvassers certifies the results of the election. A ballot question committee or, in the absence of such a committee, a voter who voted in the election may petition for a recount of a ballot question, with petitions for statewide questions due by 5 p.m. on the second day after state certification. State statute provides for the use of hand count or retabulation in recounts (see “Counting Method” for details). Recounts of general elections must generally be completed no later than “the thirtieth day immediately following the last day for filing petitions.” Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.875. Note that recounts of the presidential contest must be completed by 3:00 p.m. on the sixth day before the meeting of the presidential electors. If a government-declared emergency or court order makes it impossible to meet this deadline, the recount instead must be completed as soon as possible and no later than 11:59 p.m. on the second day before the electors convene.
Counting Method
Mix of hand count and retabulation
A board of canvassers may conduct a recount by the following means: a manual tally of the ballots; a tabulation of the ballots on a computer using a software application designed to specifically count only the office or ballot question subject to the recount; or a tabulation of the ballots on a computer using the same software application used in the precinct on election day. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.871(4). Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.871(1) sets forth conditions according to which a precinct is not considered eligible for a recount, related to discrepancies in the number of ballots issued and voted and discrepancies relating to the seals on ballot containers and transfer cases. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.871(1). The statute was revised in 2024 to allow precincts that were considered out of balance to be eligible for a recount if the precinct was certified as out of balance during the county canvass and remains out of balance by the same or fewer ballots after review during the recount. The statute was also revised to allow a board of canvassers to conduct a recount of precincts otherwise not eligible for recount if a "satisfactory explanation” is provided. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.871(2).
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.871(4) states that a board of canvassers may conduct a recount by any, or any combination of the following means: a manual tally of the ballots; a tabulation of the ballots on an electronic voting system using a software application designed to specifically count only the office or ballot question subject to the recount; or a tabulation of the ballots on an electronic voting system using the same software application used on election day.
Unless otherwise provided by law, a recount conducted under the direction, supervision, and control of the state board of canvassers must be conducted in the same manner as provided for the conduct of recounts by county boards of canvassers. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.878(2).
Initiating Mechanisms
Close vote margin
Candidate-initiated
Voter-initiated
Close Vote Margin Options
Less than or equal to 0.1%
Vote count difference (not percentage-based)
Initiated automatically
For statewide offices and ballot measures, a taxpayer funded recount is initiated automatically when the vote differential is 0.1% or less of the total number of votes cast in a statewide election. This requirement applies to statewide primary or general elections, except for partisan offices in which more than one person is elected. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.880a(1). State senate general elections must be recounted if the election is determined by 75 votes or fewer, and a recount of a state representative general election must be recounted if the election is determined by 25 votes or fewer. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.880a(2–3).
Timing: Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.880a. See also Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.875 and 168.46 for specifics related to presidential recounts, including the timing of a presidential recount and the deadlines for a presidential candidate to apply for judicial relief if a recount alters the winner of a presidential election.
Candidate-Initiated Options
Candidate determines how many/which precincts to recount
Party official may also petition for candidate
Any candidate at the county, city, township or village level who believes he or she is aggrieved on account of error in the canvass or returns of the votes may apply for a recount of one or multiple precincts.
The 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.” Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.862. The number of votes requested to be recounted in a recount petition must be greater than the difference in votes between the petitioning candidate and the winning candidate.
A candidate for an office canvassed by the board of state canvassers, including the offices of U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative, as well as all state legislative offices may petition the board of state canvassers for a recount of the votes if “the candidate believes that, but for error, a different candidate would be elected.” Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.879(1). A petitioner must request “a recount of sufficient votes to change the result of the election.” Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 865(1) and 168.879(1)(f). Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.879 does not apply to presidential primary candidates. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.879a.
For elections for state senators and representatives, party officials may petition for recounts when the vote margin is 500 votes or less for senatorial contests and 200 votes or less for representative contests. In these cases the state political party chair may apply for a recount on behalf of the candidate. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.879(2).
Timing: Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.879(1)(c), 168.866(3) and 168.875.
Voter-Initiated Options
Voters determine how many/which precincts to recount
Voters may request recounts for initiatives/questions
A ballot question committee participating in a ballot question may request a recount if they allege that “but for error” the outcome of the ballot question would have been the opposite. The petition must request a number of votes greater than the difference between the “yes” and “no” votes on the proposed ballot question. In the absence of a ballot question committee, any elector who voted in that election may file a recount petition in the same manner as the ballot question committee. Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.880 and 168.863.
Timing: Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.880, 168.866(3) and 168.875.
Cost for Candidate-Initiated Recounts
Payor of costs depends on outcome
For candidate-initiated recounts under the authority of state or county boards of canvassers, the deposit per precinct is determined by the vote margin between the winning candidate and the petitioner. Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.867 and 168.881.
The entire deposit is refunded if the recount reverses the result of the election. Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.867(9) and 168.881(17).
Cost for Voter-Initiated Recounts
Payor of costs depends on outcome
For a recount initiated by a ballot question committee or a voter under the authority of state or county boards of canvassers, the deposit per precinct is determined by the vote margin between the winning candidate and the petitioner. Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.867 and 168.881.
The entire deposit is refunded if the recount reverses the result of the election. Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.867(9) and 168.881(17).
Challengers and Observers
Party/candidate/initiator may appoint observers and challengers; recount is public
Recounts are public. Mich. Admin. Code r. 168.927 and Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.889.
Two representatives and one attorney for each recount initiator are allowed to be present at each table where ballot containers are opened or ballots are being recounted. These individuals may “observe the opening of ballot containers and each ballot as the votes are called, challenge the tabulation of a ballot, and take notes as desired for recordkeeping purposes.” Mich. Admin. Code r. 168.916.
Mich. Admin. Code r. 168.925 details the process county boards must follow to address challenged ballots and provides for a process by which interested parties may appeal a decision by a county board to the board of state canvassers.
Rules for Determining Voter Intent
See Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.803 for guidelines on interpreting voter intent. Further details are provided in Mich. Admin. Code r. 168.923.
Resources
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.46
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.803
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.862
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.863
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.865
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.866
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.867
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.871
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.875
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.879
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.879a
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.880
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.880a
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.881
Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.889
Additional Resources
Michigan Compiled Laws - Chapter 168 - Election Law
Michigan Administrative Code--Elections (Conduct of Election Recounts)
Michigan Secretary of State--Elections
Recount Manual
Procedures and Duties of the Boards of County Canvassers