Can Hillary Clinton Still Win? Donald Trump Attempts To Stop Michigan Recount Triggered By Jill Stein

Michigan's elections board is set to consider Friday a request from the lawyers of President-elect Donald Trump that could block a recount effort in the state. Green Party candidate Jill Stein filed a hand recount of some 4.8 million Michigan ballots just before a deadline earlier this week.

Trump lawyers have gone after Stein, calling her a "bottom-dwelling candidate," in their efforts to block the recount, according to the Associated Press. The Trump lawyers argued Stein, who received about 1 percent of the vote in the state, didn't have good reason to push for an recount. In her filing for the recount, Stein stated she was "aggrieved on account of fraud or mistake," a claim the Trump lawyers rejected, reported the Detroit Free Press.

"Indeed, on the basis of nothing more than speculation, Stein asks that Michigan residents endure an expensive, time-consuming recount, and the scrutiny and hardship that comes with it," wrote Eric Doster, general counsel for the Michigan Republican Party, via the Free Press.

The Trump lawyers also argued the recount would be hard to complete before a Dec. 13 deadline, would prove costly and is unlikely to change the results of the election. Trump won Michigan over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by the relatively slim margin of 10,704 votes. Libertarian Gary Johnson garnered 172,136 votes while Stein finished fourth with 51,463.

Stein has also filed for a recounts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Wisconsin has already begun re-tallying the votes, but Trump lawyers have moved to block the effort in Pennsylvania as they did in Michigan.

"Despite being no more than a blip on the electoral radar, Stein has now commandeered Pennsylvania's electoral process, with an eye toward doing the same to the Electoral College," Trump lawyers wrote in a complaint filed in Pennsylvania Thursday. "There is no evidence -- or even an allegation -- that any tampering with Pennsylvania's voting systems actually occurred."

Stein filed for the recounts amid reports of possible discrepancies with voting machines. Most observers agree, however, that the election results are very unlikely to change. Despite Clinton winning the popular vote by some 2.5 million, Trump won 306 electoral votes, comfortably over the 270 needed to clinch the presidency.