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Secretary of State orders mandatory recount for CO-3 race

The vote differential in the race was within 0.5% of the winner’s total, a recount is required under Colorado law. Adam Frisch conceded the race to Lauren Boebert.

DENVER — The race for Colorado's U.S. House District 3 is officially headed to a mandatory recount due to the closeness of the vote, the Colorado Secretary of State's office announced Wednesday. 

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert has declared victory in the election, and Democratic challenger Adam Frisch has conceded. Recounts in Colorado typically don't change the results by much – usually just a few votes. 

> Video above from Nov. 18: What's next in Colorado's Congressional District 3?

Results from the secretary of state's office show Boebert won the race by 550 votes. Because the vote differential in the race is within 0.5% of the winner’s total, a recount is required by Colorado law. 

When a recount is required, the secretary of state is required to order that recount within 30 days after the election. 

The secretary of state's office said all 27 counties in the district have been told to begin preparations for the recount, which must be completed by Dec. 13. 

“The results of the District 3 race reinforce the fact that every vote matters,” Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a news release. “Colorado voters have made their voices heard, and I am ordering this recount in accordance with Colorado law to confirm the will of the voters.” 

Once the recount begins, the counties will work with their bipartisan canvass boards to complete a logic and accuracy test on the required tabulation equipment. Following the tests, the counties will begin recounting all ballots for the race in the same manner as they were processed during the election. That means all of the counties will rescan ballots using tabulation equipment, with the exception of San Juan County, which will manually recount ballots, the secretary of state's office said. 

The race was one of the closest congressional races in the country. Boebert declared victory on Nov. 17 in a video message.

"My campaign team and our lawyers will definitely make sure everything is conducted properly," Boebert said on the coming recount. "Past recounts in Colorado have resulted in far fewer votes being adjusted than anything that can affect the current outcome we're seeing tonight in this race."

Frisch said he called Boebert to concede the race on Nov. 18. He said then that it was unlikely a recount would significantly change the results.

"The likelihood of this recount changing more than a handful of votes is very small," he said. "It would be disingenuous of us or any other group to raise false hope and continue fundraising for a recount. Colorado elections are safe, accurate and secure."

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