[Ken H]

Here is way I read WI law on recounts. I bolded the sentence in section (a) where I think the confusion is coming from. The rules in section (a) are for electives offices other than presidential electors. Presidential electors are addressed separately under section (b).

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(5) Certificates of election.

(a) The commission shall record in its office each certified statement and determination made by the commission chairperson or the chairperson’s designee. Immediately after the expiration of the time allowed to file a petition for recount, the commission shall make and transmit to each person declared elected a certificate of election under the seal of the commission. It shall also prepare similar certificates, attested by the commission administrator, addressed to the U.S. house of representatives, stating the names of those persons elected as representatives to the congress from this state. In the case of U.S. senators, the commission shall prepare a certificate of election for the governor’s signature, and the governor shall sign and affix the great seal of the state and transmit the certificate to the president of the U.S. senate. The certificate shall be countersigned by the secretary of state. If a person elected was elected to fill a vacancy, the certificate shall so indicate. When a valid petition for recount is filed, the commission chairperson or the chairperson’s designee may not certify a nomination, and the governor or commission may not issue a certificate of election until the recount has been completed and the time allowed for filing an appeal has passed, or if appealed until the appeal is decided.

(b) For presidential electors, the commission shall prepare a certificate showing the determination of the results of the canvass and the names of the persons elected, and the governor shall sign, affix the great seal of the state, and transmit the certificate by registered mail to the U.S. administrator of general services. The governor shall also prepare 6 duplicate originals of such certificate and deliver them to one of the presidential electors on or before the first Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/7/II/70/5/b

[djpg]

What does “completed” mean? Is the recount completed when the time allotted runs out, even if some counties are not finished, as was apparently the case with Florida in 2000? If “completed” means that all counties have reported, then any one county can nullify an entire state’s electoral votes.