PHILADELPHIA _ The Green Party-backed push for a recount of Pennsylvania's presidential election results will get its day in federal court.
U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond on Tuesday ordered a Friday hearing to consider the party's request for a forensic examination of voting machines used across the state and a statewide recount of paper ballots.
The proceeding will take place just five days before the Dec. 13 federal deadline for the state to certify its votes, raising questions over whether that would leave enough time for a thorough examination should the judge allow the recount to proceed.
Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has spearheaded the recount effort in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin _ Rust Belt states that provided crucial and narrow victories to President-elect Donald Trump on his march to the White House.
Attorneys representing Stein have argued that the electronic voting machines used in Pennsylvania are highly susceptible to computer hacking but have offered no evidence to suggest that any manipulation occurred during the Nov. 8 vote.
The Republican Party and Trump, who narrowly won Pennsylvania by a margin of about 47,000 votes, have strongly opposed the recount push. In a filing Monday, they argued that Stein's claims are groundless and that any delay in certifying Pennsylvania's vote could interfere with the Electoral College vote on Dec. 19 and his inauguration in January.
In addition to their efforts in federal court, Stein's legal team urged voters in Pennsylvania precincts to submit petitions to their county election boards asking for localized recounts _ efforts that have so far met with mixed results.
Philadelphia election officials recounted votes in several Philadelphia precincts Monday but while Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton picked up five additional votes, the totals for Trump did not change.
A Bucks County judge dismissed petitions in that county for a recount Tuesday, as did a Montgomery County judge in his county last week.
In Philadelphia, a recount of the vote in 75 of the city's more than 16,000 divisions on Monday netted Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton an additional five votes, but did not affect totals for Trump or Stein.
A similar effort in Allegheny County did not change the vote totals.
