Recounts: each state's rules and 2026's closest races
When votes are recounted automatically, when a candidate can ask for a recount, and which 2026 Senate, House and governor races fall inside those margins.
Votes are being counted: this page updates every minute.
2026 races inside a recount margin
| Race | Leading | Gap | Recount |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC-05 · not called | Chuck Hubbard (D) over Virginia Foxx (R) | 0.03% 99 votes |
Can be requested |
| NC-03 · not called | Greg Murphy (R) over Raymond Smith Jr. (D) | 0.10% 233 votes |
Can be requested |
| FL-27 · not called | Maria Elvira Salazar (R) over Eliott Rodriguez (D) | 0.45% 1,116 votes |
Automatic |
| NC-07 · not called | David Rouzer (R) over Kim Hardy (D) | 0.76% 2,425 votes |
Can be requested |
Gap between the top two as a share of all votes, on the current count; some states measure it differently, and what counts is the certified result.
The rules, state by state
For Senate, House and governor races.
| State | Automatic recount | Requested recount |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 0.5% or less (general elections) | Any qualified voter may request one. |
| Alaska | Tie votes only | A defeated candidate or 10 voters may request one. |
| Arizona | 0.5% or less of the votes cast (0.1% before 2023) | Candidates can't request one; a court can order one. |
| Arkansas | None | Any candidate may request one. |
| California | None | Any voter may request one and pays for it. |
| Colorado | 0.5% or less of the winner's votes | A losing candidate may request one and pays for it. |
| Connecticut | Under 0.5% and no more than 2,000 votes, or under 20 votes | No requests; a recount can come from a court challenge. |
| Delaware | Only for state legislative, county and municipal races | A statewide candidate may go to court if the margin is under 1,000 votes or 0.5%, whichever is less. |
| Florida | 0.5% or less (machine recount; a hand recount of over- and undervotes at 0.25% or less) | No requests. |
| Georgia | None for these races | A losing candidate within 0.5% may request one within two business days of certification. |
| Hawaii | 100 votes or 0.5%, whichever is less | No requests. |
| Idaho | None | Any candidate may request one. |
| Illinois | None | Only through an election contest in court. |
| Indiana | None | A candidate or party chair may request one. |
| Iowa | None | Any candidate may request one. |
| Kansas | None | Any candidate may request one. |
| Kentucky | Under 0.5% (statewide and congressional races) | A candidate may request one. |
| Louisiana | None | A candidate may request one. |
| Maine | Tie votes only | The apparent loser may request one. |
| Maryland | None | A defeated candidate may request one. |
| Massachusetts | None | A candidate may request one with voter petitions. |
| Michigan | 0.1% or less (statewide races) | A candidate who alleges fraud or a mistake may request one. |
| Minnesota | None for these races | A losing candidate may request one. |
| Mississippi | None | No recount process; a court challenge is the remedy. |
| Missouri | None | A candidate who lost by under 1% may request one. |
| Montana | Tie votes only | A candidate who lost by 0.25% or less (or 10 votes, whichever is greater) may request one. |
| Nebraska | 1% or less | A losing candidate may request one. |
| Nevada | None | A defeated candidate may request one within three days of certification and pays for it. |
| New Hampshire | None | A candidate may request one when the margin is under 20%. |
| New Jersey | None | A candidate who believes votes were miscounted may request one. |
| New Mexico | Under 0.25% (federal and statewide races) | Any candidate may request one. |
| New York | Under 20 votes or 0.5% or less; under 5,000 votes when a million or more ballots are cast | No requests. |
| North Carolina | None (a recount can expand if errors turn up) | A candidate may request one within 0.5% or 10,000 votes, whichever is less (statewide), or 1% (other races). |
| North Dakota | 0.5% or less (general elections) | A candidate who lost by more than 0.5% and under 2% may request one. |
| Ohio | 0.25% or less statewide; 0.5% or less in district races | Any candidate may request one. |
| Oklahoma | None | A candidate may request one. |
| Oregon | 0.2% or less | A candidate or party officer may request one. |
| Pennsylvania | 0.5% or less (statewide races) | Three voters may request precinct recounts if they allege fraud or error. |
| Rhode Island | None | Any candidate may request one. |
| South Carolina | 1% or less | No requests. |
| South Dakota | Tie votes only | A candidate for a multi-county office within 0.25% may request one (2% for single-county offices). |
| Tennessee | None | Only a court or tribunal hearing an election contest can order one. |
| Texas | Tie votes only | A candidate may request one if the margin is under 10% of the leader's votes. |
| Utah | Tie votes only | A losing candidate within 0.25% may request one. |
| Vermont | Tie votes only | A losing candidate in a federal or statewide race within 2% may request one. |
| Virginia | None | A candidate within 1% may request one. |
| Washington | Under 2,000 votes and under 0.5% (hand recount under 1,000 votes and 0.25%) | A candidate or party officer may request one and pays for it. |
| West Virginia | None | A candidate may request one. |
| Wisconsin | None | A losing candidate may request one; it's free within 0.25%, otherwise the candidate pays. |
| Wyoming | 1% or less of the votes cast in the race | A candidate may request one. |
Questions and answers
What triggers an automatic recount?
In 18 states, a margin under a threshold set in law: most often 0.5%, though some use 0.1%, 0.25% or a vote count. Others recount automatically only on a tie.
Can a candidate ask for a recount?
In most states, yes. Some allow it only when the margin is small (0.5% in Georgia, 1% in Virginia, for example), and many make the candidate pay if the result doesn't change.
Who pays for a recount?
Automatic recounts are paid for by the state or counties. For a requested recount the candidate usually puts down a deposit, refunded if the result flips.
Do recounts change the result?
Rarely. Recounts usually move only a handful of votes; changing the winner is uncommon and happens almost only in races decided by a few votes.
When do recounts happen?
After the official canvass and, in many states, after certification, which can be weeks after Election Day.
Certification dates → · Still counting → · The closest races →
Sources: Ballotpedia ("Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states"), NCSL ("Election Recounts") and NBC News (October 2024), as of November 2026. A simplified summary: check each state's election office for details and deadlines.