When a race is very close, a recount is the system’s way of checking the count, not a second election. Every state has rules for when one happens, and they fall into two broad types. In states with automatic recounts, a margin inside a statutory threshold triggers one without anyone asking. In others, a trailing candidate can request one if the margin is small enough, sometimes at their own expense.
The table below covers seven states with competitive races this year, using thresholds taken directly from their statutes. We have left out states whose current rules we could not confirm from an official source. If your state is not listed, check its secretary of state or election board website.
- Automatic recounts (no request needed) in this guide: Arizona (0.5%), Florida (0.5%), Michigan (0.1% statewide) and Ohio (0.25% statewide, 0.5% for district races).
- Requested recounts: Georgia (0.5%), North Carolina (0.5% or 10,000 votes statewide, whichever is less) and Wisconsin (1%, free at 0.25% or less).
- In some states, the trailing candidate can waive an automatic recount.
- Recounts typically shift totals by small amounts. They matter only when the margin is already tiny.
- Recounts happen after the canvass and certification steps begin, so they can push final results well past Election Day.
Recount rules in seven battleground states
| State | Type | Threshold | Key details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Automatic | ≤ 0.5% | Margin between the top two, measured against votes cast for both; also applies to ballot measures |
| Florida | Automatic | ≤ 0.5% | Machine recount based on unofficial returns; the candidate who is behind can waive it in writing; a manual recount can follow under separate rules |
| Michigan | Automatic | ≤ 0.1% statewide | State Senate: 75 votes or less; State House: 25 votes or less; losing side can waive within 48 hours after certification |
| Ohio | Automatic | ≤ 0.25% statewide; ≤ 0.5% district, county, local | Secretary of state orders statewide and district recounts |
| Georgia | On request | ≤ 0.5% | Losing candidate requests in writing within two business days after certification |
| North Carolina | On request | 0.5% or 10,000 votes (statewide); 1% (other) | Statewide: whichever is less. Demand due by noon on the second business day after the county canvass |
| Wisconsin | On request | ≤ 1% (4,000+ votes cast) | No fee if margin is 0.25% or less; petition due by 5 p.m. on the third business day after the board of canvassers’ last meeting |
How to read the thresholds
Thresholds are usually expressed as a percentage of the votes cast for the office, but states measure it differently. Arizona compares the top two candidates against the votes cast for both of them. North Carolina caps the statewide trigger at 10,000 votes, which matters in high-turnout races where 0.5% would be a larger number. Michigan sets fixed vote counts for state legislative races. And some states, like Florida, apply the threshold to unofficial returns, so the recount can begin before final certification.
In a race with 4 million votes cast, 0.5% is 20,000 votes. In North Carolina, the 10,000-vote cap would apply instead, since it is lower. In Michigan, the 0.1% statewide trigger would be 4,000 votes.
Automatic vs. requested: why it matters
- Automatic recounts remove the decision from the candidates. Even so, Florida and Michigan let the trailing side waive one, which can happen when a candidate accepts the result.
- Requested recounts put the choice, and sometimes the cost, on the trailing candidate. Wisconsin’s fee structure illustrates this: inside 0.25% the recount is free; between 0.25% and 1% the petitioner pays.
- Deadlines are short. Requests are generally due within a few business days of the canvass or certification, so campaigns prepare in advance in close races.
What recounts usually change
Recounts are verification tools. In most cases they shift totals modestly, by correcting tabulation or clerical errors, and they rarely reverse a result unless the original margin was extremely small. Our explainer on what happens after Election Day walks through the full sequence of canvass, certification, recounts and election contests, and our election security and results guide explains why election-night totals are unofficial.
Close races to keep in mind
Several races in these states are rated competitive: the open governor’s races in Wisconsin and Ohio, the Senate races in Georgia and Ohio, Michigan’s open Senate seat, and House battlegrounds in Arizona and elsewhere. A race does not need to be a Toss-Up to land inside a recount margin, but those are the likeliest candidates. Follow the latest ratings on the Election Tracker dashboard, and see poll closing times by state for results-night timing.
Many other states have their own automatic or requested recount rules, and some differ by office or by election type, such as primaries. This guide is limited to states whose current statutes we confirmed. For any other state, use your secretary of state’s or election board’s official guidance.
Frequently asked questions
What is an automatic recount?
A recount required by state law when the margin falls inside a set threshold, with no request needed. Examples include Arizona and Florida at 0.5%, Michigan at 0.1% for statewide races, and Ohio at 0.25% for statewide races.
Does Georgia have an automatic recount?
No. A losing candidate may request a recount in writing within two business days after certification if the margin is not more than 0.5% of the votes cast for the office.
What is the recount threshold in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has no automatic recount. In races with more than 4,000 votes cast, a trailing candidate may petition if within 1%, and pays no fee if the margin is 0.25% or less.
Can a candidate stop an automatic recount?
In some states, yes. Florida lets the candidate who is behind request in writing that a recount not be made, and Michigan allows the losing side to waive within 48 hours after certification.
Do recounts usually change who wins?
Rarely. Recounts generally shift totals modestly and reverse results mainly when the original margin was extremely small.
Recount thresholds are a fraction of a percent almost everywhere, which means they come into play only in the closest races. If one of this year’s battlegrounds lands inside that line, the rules above determine whether the count starts again automatically or only on request.
Sources
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 16-661: Automatic recount
- Florida Statutes § 102.141: County canvassing board; duties (recounts)
- Michigan Compiled Laws § 168.880a: Automatic recount
- Ohio Revised Code § 3515.011: Automatic recount
- North Carolina General Statutes § 163-182.7: Ordering recounts
- Wisconsin Statutes § 9.01: Recount