Story highlights There's no stipulation that a losing candidate has to concede

It's purely by tradition and custom

(CNN) The prospect of election night drama seems to dwindle with each new round of polling. But Donald Trump, perhaps trying to author a campaign cliffhanger, is determined to provide Americans with at least a measure of "suspense" on November 8.

Barring a remarkable turnaround -- "Brexit times five" as Trump put it last week -- Americans will begin their post-election Wednesday with a President-elect Clinton on the horizon.

But whether her opponent sees fit to embrace defeat and publicly concede is mostly immaterial.

"It doesn't have any independent legal effect," said Rick Hasen, a University of California-Irvine professor who runs the popular Election Law Blog. "If he concedes or he doesn't concede, the votes totals will be what they will be."

Recounts are triggered automatically in 20 states and the District of Columbia when the margin of victory is sufficiently narrow, according to different laws in each of those states. The parameters vary -- in Florida and Pennsylvania, it's a margin of 0.5% or less of the total vote, while Michigan requires a deficit of 2,000 votes or less.

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