Wisconsin judge rules recount by hand isn't necessary

A judge in Wisconsin has denied Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein's request to recount presidential votes by hand.

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled that it can be left up to the counties which method is used, a decision Stein's lawyer said he respects, but still would have liked to have seen a hand recount to be sure "who voted for whom."

The decision came Tuesday after Stein filed a lawsuit that failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign later joined. Neither campaign presented any evidence that the state's electronic voting machines were hacked.

Stein's campaign paid the $3.5 million dollar fee for the recount before the hearings began Tuesday, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission estimated that the recount could cost almost $3.9 million.  Stein would be on the hook for the additional money, but would also be owed a refund if the funds go unused.

The recount is set to start on Thursday, with a deadline of 8 p.m. on December 12. President-elect Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by a count of approximately 22,000 votes in the state of Wisconsin.