Lots of national press and others are asking about Washington’s recount laws if some of our races end up ultra-close, such as the U.S. Senate contest, the Supreme Court, ballot measures or legislative and congressional races.

Short answer:  A mandatory machine recount is triggered if the gap is less than 2,000 votes and less than one-half of 1 percent of the total votes cast for the two sides.

A hand recount is triggered for statewide races if the gap is less than 1,000 votes and a quarter of 1 percent of the total votes cast.  For legislative or congressional races, a manual recount is triggered when the margin is under 150 votes and a quarter of 1 percent of the total votes cast for the two candidates.

According to an FAQ on our elections website, the Secretary of State orders the recount for statewide offices and ballot measures and for legislative, congressional and judicial offices that cross county lines. The county Canvassing Board orders recounts for all other races.

The taxpayers cover the cost of mandatory recounts.  In cases where the margin is outside the mandatory recount range, candidates or the political parties can also pay to have a recount and citizens may also request a recount for any ballot measure, but they have to cover the cost. If the recount reverses the outcome of the election, the challengers get their money back.