Christopher Haxel

Lansing State Journal

MASON - Workers finished a recount of presidential votes in Ingham County before a federal judge put a stop to the effort across the state.

Out of about 131,000 total votes, Donald Trump gained 73 votes, while Hillary Clinton gained 138, a net difference of 65. Jill Stein, who initiated the recount last week, lost two votes.

The Ingham County Board of Canvassers finalized the county's recount shortly before 1 p.m.

Ingham County was the first in Michigan to complete its recount, and the results will be sent to state officials regardless of whether the statewide recount is ultimately completed, said Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum.

Votes from 23 precincts, representing about 18,000 ballots, were not recounted for reasons such as damaged ballot bags or seals that were broken during shipment to the fairgrounds.

Additionally, some ballot bags from Meridian Township were not recounted because they were sealed using devices that are not state approved, Byrum said.

Some of the seals used by the township came with the bags when they were purchased in 2005, said Meridian Township Clerk Brett Dreyfus.

Unbeknownst to officials, those seals are valid for local but not federal elections, he said.

He said he isn't sure why the seals aren't certified for federal elections or whether they ever should have been used in past federal elections.

"Sometimes you’re not aware of what you’re not aware of," he said. "We’re looking at making sure we’re in compliance with all sealing requirements."

Votes from three precincts – all in Mason – were being re-recounted this morning because workers realized last night they had misplaced the recount sheets at some point during the initial recount, Byrum said.

The sheets were likely left in the ballot container, which was sealed after the first recount, she said.

An attorney representing the Trump campaign objected to this morning's re-recount of the three precincts, Byrum said.

He declined to comment to the State Journal.

►Related: Trump campaign rep: All Eaton County ballots will be challenged

►Live: ​Board of Canvassers to meet on Michigan presidential recount

"It's a politically motivated objection," she said. "They are deliberately increasing the costs of the recount here in Ingham County."

The county will retain the ballots at the Ingham County Fairgrounds until further notice at the request of the state Board of Elections, said Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum.

In the meantime, the county will have to pay to have the ballots guarded at Ingham County Fairgrounds.

Byrum initially estimated the recount, which began Monday afternoon, would take about six days. On Tuesday, workers finished counting ballots from 21 precincts by about 1 p.m., she said. They finished counting votes from the remaining 97 precincts, including absentee votes, by about 9 p.m.

"I was fortunate enough to have some amazing recount workers," she said. "Some dedicated, efficient individuals."

Contact Christopher Haxel at 517-377-1261 or chaxel@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.