Missouri's Tuesday night primary still hasn't been called. Here's why.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Two days after the polls closed in Missouri Tuesday night, there still aren't any official winners in either the Democratic or Republican presidential primary. And, Politico reports, it's not because all of the votes haven't already been counted:
That’s because both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump lead their respective primaries by just 0.2 percentage point — within the 0.5 point threshold for a recount under Missouri election law."The margin of victory in the Missouri presidential primaries is less than one-half of one percent, which qualifies them for a recount in Missouri," said AP political editor David Scott in a statement provided to Politico. "Neither the Sanders nor Cruz campaigns have said if they plan to challenge the results, as is their right under Missouri law. As such, both races remain too close to call." [Politico]
Current results show Donald Trump leading Sen. Ted Cruz 40.9 percent to 40.7 percent. Hillary Clinton leads Sen. Bernie Sanders 49.6 percent to 49.4 percent.
Sanders' campaign says it is not yet at the point of making a final decision on whether to ask for a recount, though Sanders' chief strategist Tad Devine has said that "the difference could be a delegate in the end so it's not something that we feel a great urgency about."
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cruz has yet to say whether he's looking into a recount, though the stakes are higher in the Republican primary. Although Missouri is not a winner-take-all state, nine of the delegates go to the statewide winner regardless of the winning margin.
Both Cruz and Sanders have some time to make up their minds, though: Missouri law stipulates that recounts cannot be requested until four weeks after the election, so it might be at least April 15 until we find out who won the state.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com