Three WI counties — with highly unexpected surges of votes to Trump — have decided not to hand count their paper ballots when they have an option to machine-scan them. This could prove consequential in a state where just 22,177 votes separate the candidates.
The counties are:
Outagamie (biggest city: Appleton)
Average margin of victory, last four presidential elections: 1,639 votes, GOP
2016: 13,480 GOP
Gain beyond average for GOP: 11,841
Brown (biggest city: Green Bay — home of the Packers)
Average margin of victory, last four presidential elections: 2,074 GOP
2016: 13,804 GOP
Gain beyond average for GOP: 11,760
Rock (biggest city: Janesville)
Average margin of victory, last four presidential elections: 17,080, DEM
2016: 7,845, DEM
Gain beyond average for GOP: 9,235