MONTGOMERY, Ala., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, refusing to concede the election to Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Riley in Tuesday's general election, began the cumbersome process Friday to trying to obtain recounts in each of the state's 67 counties.
Both candidates have claimed victory, though unofficial vote totals put Riley 3,195 votes ahead of the incumbent Siegelman. Riley has begun putting together a transition team, under the assumption he will take office on Jan. 20.
Siegelman, a Democrat, said he would seek "a recount of every vote in every precinct of every vote in every county." He asked for votes to be "recounted by hand" in coastal Baldwin County, where election officials gave Siegelman an early lead Tuesday night but later lowered his vote totals.
Unofficial totals gave Riley 670,913 votes compared to 667,718 for Siegelman and 23,242 for Libertarian candidate John Sophocleus.
Matt Lembke, a Birmingham attorney representing the Riley campaign, questioned the legality of a recount. "What Don Siegelman wants now is to get his hands on the ballots," he said.
"Governor-elect Riley cannot stand by and let this unwarranted and dangerous recount occur. We already have evidence that ballots in some part of the state are not secure, and we will open Pandora's box if we let those seals be unlawfully broken," Lembke said.
"Just as Al Gore did in Florida two years ago, Governor Siegelman now wants to change rules and to make them up as he goes."
Lembke said Alabama law only allows recounts for specific reasons and "the fact that you were 3,000 votes behind and did not like the results of the election is not one of the reasons allowed."
"That's why there has never been a statewide recount," he said.
On Friday morning, County Democratic chairman William Pfeifer filed a petition for a recount in Baldwin County, where vote totals were certified on Wednesday. Siegelman's attorney, Joe Espy, says supporters planned to file petitions in all of the other Alabama counties.
Secretary of State Jim Bennett, who plans to certify the election returns on Nov. 20, said Alabama allows voters to request a recount in their county by petitioning the county's canvassing board.
"If someone doesn't like the county canvas or has some question that has some validity to it, they can ask for a recount by posting a bond with the local canvassing board," Bennett said.
Siegelman said he would abide by the result of a recount "win or lose," but said the people of Alabama "should have no doubt about who has rightfully won this election and who has been rightfully elected as their next governor."
Early Tuesday evening, Baldwin County election officials issued totals that said Siegelman had 19,070 votes. They later said the results had been improperly compiled and they revised Siegelman's vote total to just more than 12,000.
Chuck Grainger, attorney for the secretary of state, said he did not expect recounts to change the outcome of Tuesday's gubernatorial election.
"It appears to me that we're going to have a new governor in January," Grainger said.
