NEW YORK: Frustrated by the insurmountable barriers being placed by those opposing the rec-ount effort, Jill Stein of Green Party, plans to bring her fight for a statewide ballot recount in Pennsylvania to federal court.

Trump’s Republican Pa­rty is discouraging the recount efforts believing it will be a serious challenge to Trump’s claim to victory in Pennsylvania.

Stein plans to hold a rally and press conference on Monday outside Trump Tower in New York City.

Jonnathan Abady, lead counsel to Stein’s recount efforts, said hat starting on Monday, the campaign will “file for emergency relief in federal court, demanding a statewide recount on constitutional grounds.”

“It has become clear that the barriers to verifying the vote in Pennsylvania are so pervasive and that the state court system is so ill-equipped to address this problem that we must seek federal court intervention,” Abady said.

Stein elaborated on Twitter, asking: “How odd is it that we must jump through bureaucratic hoops and raise millions of dollars so we can trust our election results?”

In addition, the Stein campaign will pursue the county-by-county recount effort in Pennsylvania, Stein’s lawyer, Lawrence Otter,told a Philadelphia newspaper.

“That requires efforts in individual precincts — a process that requires three voters to petition their local election boards.

“In the region, a recount in Philadelphia is already underway in 75 of the city’s more than 1,600 divisions. Judges in Bucks and Delaware counties will hear arguments this week on whether to grant recou­nts, Otter said.”

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2016