Computer science experts recommend Hillary Clinton challenge election results in 3 swing states

Last week, prominent computer scientists and election lawyers who noticed suspicious voting patterns in three swing states won by Donald Trump privately urged Hillary Clinton's campaign to call for a recount, New York reports.

Gabriel Sherman writes that the group, including voting rights attorney John Bonifaz and J. Alex Halderman, director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, believe they have found evidence that in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the results may have been manipulated or hacked. For example, in Wisconsin, Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes in counties that used electronic voting machines compared to counties that utilized paper ballots and optical scanners. Clinton lost the state by 27,000 votes, but based on this statistical analysis, as many as 30,000 votes may not have been tallied for Clinton, Sherman wrote.

The experts have made their case to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and campaign general counsel Marc Elias. While they do not have definitive proof of manipulation or hacking, the group is arguing that the odd patterns merit an independent review, especially since the White House accused the Russian government of hacking the Democratic National Committee. Should a recount request be made, it would have to involve both a recount and forensic audit of voting machines. New York reports the deadline to file for a recount in Wisconsin is Friday, in Pennsylvania is Monday, and Michigan — where the race is still considered too close to call — is next Wednesday.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up