Explainer: Why recounts rarely change the results of U.S. elections

A person counts postal ballots following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in Downey, near Los Angeles, California, U.S. [Reuters]

U.S. President Donald Trump hopes a recount of votes will help keep President-elect Joe Biden out of the White House, but as common as recounts may be, especially for state and local candidates, only three in the last two decades have changed the result and none for a presidential election.

Here’s how recounts work and the impact they have had: