MICHIGAN — As county clerks statewide make final preparations for a recount of Michigan's Nov. 8 presidential election, the campaigns are doing the same.
Early Monday morning, a federal judge ordered a hand recount of Michigan's presidential results to begin by noon Monday.
Judge Mark Goldsmith issued his ruling that rejected an effort by Michigan state officials to wait two business days before starting to hand-count roughly 4.8 million ballots. The move increases the chances that the state could complete the count ahead of a Dec. 13 deadline.
The recount was prompted by former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein who is also spearheading recount efforts in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Stein's lawyers argued that waiting until Wednesday would cut it too close.
Recount efforts will begin first in Oakland and Ingham counties, where the process was initially scheduled to start last Friday before challenges were filed by Donald Trumpand Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.
“This is unprecedented," Ingham County clerk Barb Byrum told FOX 17, where more than 130,000 ballots will have to be recounted.
"We have 30 two-member teams, a Democrat and a Republican, to conduct the recount. I have team leaders here, people from my staff, I have local clerks that have found it in their heart to show up and help as well."
In other counties, like Kent and Ottawa, recounts are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning at 8:30 with remaining counties following on a staggered schedule over a seven day period.
>> MORE: Full county-by-county recount schedule here
Kent County officials say they plan to have roughly 20 teams of two people counting every day 8:30 a.m. through 6 p.m. at Wyoming’s Public Safety Building, 2300 De Hoop Avenue SW in Wyoming.
For JoAnne Kean, a mid-Michigan area clerk who volunteered to help recount, it was about being a part of history.
“That is the reason why I’m here," she said. "For our Vevay Twp. voters, I feel responsible to be here and help, in addition to being a part of history. This is very educational."
County clerks coordinated to produce an instructional training video for recount workers.
"Recount Michigan," a group funded by the Stein campaign, is in the process of training volunteers to observe the recount process.
"In order to ensure transparency and accuracy of the election results, Recount Michigan 2016 will be coordinating volunteers to serve as volunteer observers," the group says on its Facebook page. "Observers will monitor the recount of ballots, check for any irregularities, and ensure every vote counts."
A volunteer sign-up page is posted on Hillary Clinton's campaign website.
Michigan's Republican Party is also recruiting volunteers to observe the recount.
Volunteers are encouraged to register on the MIGOP websitewhere they are also prompted to sign a petition calling on Hillary Clinton to stop the recount.
"If there is a recount here in Michigan where the margin of victory was the smallest, we will need resources and volunteers all over the state," reads a statement on the MIGOP website.
Ronna Romney McDaniel, chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, said the federal ruling throws the state into chaos and promised to "vigorously" pursue options to overturn it.
"We are exploring every possible avenue available to us and still believe that this recount is an incredible waste of Michigan taxpayers' money," she said in a statement emailed to supporters Monday morning. "This judicial opinion throws our process into chaos when our law provides for an orderly procedure."
The state appeals court on Monday scheduled a hearing for 4 p.m. Tuesday in Lansing consider arguments from lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump and state Attorney General Bill Schuette, both of whom are trying to stop the recount.
“This recount violates Michigan law," Schuette said during a live interview on the FOX News Channel with Neil Cavuto Monday afternoon. "I’m very hopeful the Michigan courts will step in and protect Michigan law from the federal takeover that a federal judge is trying to impose on Michigan.”
Talking potential cost to taxpayers, Schuette said the "reckless and irresponsible" recount could cost $4-6 million. Stein's campaign has already paid $900,000 of the initial cost.
Republican Donald Trump narrowly defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in all three states on his way to victory.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
