The recount
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The recount

Posted by Mike Riopell on Tue, 11/06/2012 - 17:29

Given the name of this blog and the potential for some close races tonight, we thought we'd run down real quickly how vote recounts work in Illinois.

Then, if any of these races are recount-close, we'll point to this post and look like geniuses.

There was very nearly a recount in Illinois two years ago, when Republican Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale narrowly lost the Republican primary for governor to Bill Brady of Bloomington. Dillard declined, even though the race was very close.

We know from that experience that calls for a recount can't be immediate.
Recounts in Illinois aren't automatic as they are in some states when races are within a particular margin. Candidates have to wait until the results are official, a process that can take weeks.

After that, a losing candidate wanting recount has to ask the courts for one. The candidate is responsible for the costs of the recount, a $10,000 initial fee in Dillard's case. And lawyers fees after that would cost more.

It wouldn't be a short process. And that may sound like a lot of money. But consider that many of these candidates in tight, expensive races often took in more than that in one day.

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