PRESIDENT-elect Donald Trump and his lieutenants are assailing an effort, now joined by Hillary Clinton, to recount votes in up to three battleground states, calling the push fraudulent, the work of “crybabies” and “sad”.

Trump tweeted part of Clinton’s concession speech to voice his view, citing Clinton’s own words when she previously told her supporters they must accept that “Donald Trump is going to be our president”.

The Green Party scam to fill up their coffers by asking for impossible recounts is now being joined by the badly defeated & demoralized Dems — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

And as Trump worked to fill foreign policy and national security roles in his Cabinet, a top adviser expressed astonishment that 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney remained under consideration for secretary of state, after his campaign-long questioning of Trump’s character, intellect and integrity.

Trump’s comments came a day after he tweeted it was a “scam” that Green Party nominee Jill Stein was revisiting the vote count in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Wisconsin’s election board has agreed to conduct a statewide recount of votes cast in the presidential election earlier this month.

The recount process, including an examination by hand of the nearly three million ballots cast in Wisconsin, is expected to begin late next week after Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s campaign filed the paperwork, the Elections Commission said.

“The Commission is preparing to move forward with a statewide recount of votes for President of the United States, as requested,” Commission Administrator Michael Haas said in a statement.

The recount must be finished by December 13.

TRUMP BRANDS RECOUNT A ‘SCAM’

“This is a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded, and the results of this election should be respected instead of being challenged and abused, which is exactly what (Green Party leader) Jill Stein is doing,” Trump said in a statement about the recount on Saturday.

“This recount is just a way for Jill Stein, who received less than one per cent of the vote overall and wasn’t even on the ballot in many states, to fill her coffers with money, most of which she will never even spend on this ridiculous recount,” Trump said.

Trump continued his attack overnight, tweeting, “Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech. Nothing will change.”

In a Facebook message, Ms Stein said she said she has raised at least $US5 million ($6.7 million) since launching her drive on Wednesday for recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — three battleground states where Republican Trump edged out Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by relatively thin margins.

Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and after the results were in. Nothing will change — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

Hillary's debate answer on delay: "That is horrifying. That is not the way our democracy works. Been around for 240 years. We've had free -- — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

and fair elections. We've accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them, and that is what must be expected of anyone standing on a - — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

during a general election. I, for one, am appalled that somebody that is the nominee of one of our two major parties would take that kind -- — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

of position." Then, separately she stated, "He said something truly horrifying ... he refused to say that he would respect the results of -- — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

this election. That is a direct threat to our democracy." She then said, "We have to accept the results and look to the future, Donald -- — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

Trump is going to be our President. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead." So much time and money will be spent - same result! Sad — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

The chance of overturning the result of the election is considered very slim, even if all three states go along with the recount.

However, Ms Clinton’s lawyers have now joined Ms Stein’s efforts.

“Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves,” campaign lawyer Marc Elias wrote in a Medium post on Saturday explaining the decision, “but now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides.”



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The Green Party candidate, who garnered little more than 1 per cent of the nationwide popular vote herself, said she was seeking to verify the integrity of the US voting system, not to undo Mr Trump’s victory.

“This was a hack-riddled election,” she told CNN.

Experts urged extra scrutiny of the three states, Ms Stein said, because they had “unexplained high numbers of under votes,” and “discrepancies between pre- election polling and the official result.” The filing deadline for a recount in Pennsylvania is Monday and in Michigan it is Wednesday.

Ms Clinton would need to reverse the result in all three states for the overall election result to change.

Trump beat Clinton in Pennsylvania by 70,010 votes, in Michigan by 10,704 votes and in Wisconsin by 27,257 votes.

For a candidate to win the presidency they must secure 270 electoral college votes. Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania command a total of 46 electoral votes.

Given that Mr Trump finished with 306 electoral votes and Ms Clinton ended on 232, theoretically if all three states actually conduct a recount and the votes in those three states swing from Mr Trump to Ms Clinton, then the US could have a new president.

Ms Clinton leads Mr Trump in the popular vote by more than 2 million votes, however not in those key seats that matter.

A representative for Mr Trump’s transition team on Thursday had no comment on Ms Stein’s effort, and Ms Clinton has not commented either.