The recount of nearly 3 million votes began Dec. 1 after Green Party candidate Jill Stein paid the estimated $3.5 million cost.

The actual cost won’t be known until counties report their costs by Dec. 30. Stein will be responsible for paying any amount over the original estimate and will be refunded if the cost is less.

Last week, a federal judge rejected a lawsuit by Trump supporters seeking to halt the recount.

Stein’s campaign has said the goal of the recount was to affirm the validity of the election amid concerns about foreign powers trying to influence the outcome of the election.

Gov. Scott Walker expressed appreciation for the work done by the state’s 72 county clerks and hundreds of full-time, part-time and temporary employees.

“They’ve shown all throughout this process that it was very clear that the vote was legitimate here in the state,” Walker said.

Elections commissioner Don Millis on Monday criticized Stein’s decision to seek a recount as “an abuse of the system.”

He said he doubted the commission would take a position on making changes to the state’s recount law, as Walker and some Republicans in the Legislature have advocated.