Speaking of the probable recount in Wisconsin, I went back and looked at our archives to find out how often recounts actually change the outcomes of elections. The answer: Not often! There were 27 recounts in statewide general elections between 2000 and 2015, and only three of those changed the results. Shout-out to the 2008 Minnesota senate race and my all-time favorite disputed ballot. Recounts are useful for trust building and catching systemic problems in election administration, experts told Carl Bialik back in 2016. But unless the margins are really really wire thin, they're unlikely to come up with a different result.