[alancarp]

It's a state-by-state deal -- not a national rule. The details are below, but note that the law invokes a recount if the margin is within 1% OF ALL VOTES CAST.

NC Statute: § 163‑182.7. Ordering recounts.

(a) Discretionary Recounts. – The county board of elections or the State Board of Elections may order a recount when necessary to complete the canvass in an election. The county board may not order a recount where the State Board of Elections has already denied a recount to the petitioner.

...
(c) Mandatory Recounts for Ballot Items Within the Jurisdiction of the State Board of Elections. – In a ballot item within the jurisdiction of the State Board of Elections, a candidate shall have the right to demand a recount of the votes if the difference between the votes for that candidate and the votes for a prevailing candidate are not more than the following:

(1) For a nonstatewide ballot item, one percent (1%) of the total votes cast in the ballot item, or in the case of a multiseat ballot item, one percent (1%) of the votes cast for those two candidates.

(2) For a statewide ballot item, one‑half of one percent (0.5%) of the votes cast in the ballot item, or 10,000 votes, whichever is less.

[alancarp]

Total votes cast: 185,172
Margin of victory: 2,095
Percentage of total votes cast: 1.131%

ERGO... Etheridge cannot legally demand a recount. Don’t let the door hit you in the rear on the way out, Bob.

[MitchellC]

Thanks.