A federal judge who ordered Michigan to begin its recount has effectively ended it, tying his decision to a state court ruling that found Green Party candidate Jill Stein had no legal standing to request another look at ballots.
The ruling seals Republican Donald Trump's narrow electoral victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in Michigan.
US District Judge Mark Goldsmith agreed with Republicans who argued that the three-day recount must end a day after the state appeals court dealt a blow to the effort.
Stein, who finished fourth in Michigan on November 8, didn't have a chance of winning even after a recount and therefore wasn't an aggrieved candidate, the appeals court said.
"Because there is no basis for this court to ignore the Michigan court's ruling and make an independent judgment regarding what the Michigan Legislature intended by the term 'aggrieved,' plaintiffs have not shown an entitlement to a recount," Goldsmith said of Stein and allies.
It was Goldsmith's midnight ruling on Monday that started the recount in Michigan, but his order dealt with timing, not whether a recount was appropriate.
More than 20 counties so far are recounting ballots, and some are finished.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Michigan elections board said the recount would end if Goldsmith extinguished his earlier order.
Stein got about one per cent of the vote in three states where she's pushed for recounts - Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin all of which Trump narrowly won.
Stein insists she's more concerned about the accuracy of the election, alleging without evidence that the elections may have been susceptible to hacking.
A court hearing will be held on Friday on a possible recount in Pennsylvania, while Wisconsin's recount, which started last week, has so far increased Trump's margin of victory over Clinton.
