Michigan’s Largest County Reverses Course On Certifying Election Results

 

Election officials in Michigan’s largest county reversed course late on Tuesday night after initially failing to certify election results during a vote earlier in the day.

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers initially arrived at a gridlock after a 2-2 vote that fell along party lines. The New York Times reports that Biden has a 37-point lead in the county.

In a new vote, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers voted unanimously to certify the election results.

“Democrats and voting rights advocates had expressed outrage after the board, which is made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, deadlocked on party lines over whether to certify,” The Washington Post reported. “Had it held, that outcome would have punted the question of who won the state’s most densely populated region to a state regulatory board that meets Nov. 23.”

Michigan GOP Chairwoman Laura Cox responded to the initial news that Republicans had blocked certifying the election results by saying, “I am proud that, due to the efforts of the Michigan Republican Party, the Republican National Committee and the Trump Campaign, enough evidence of irregularities and potential voter fraud was uncovered resulting in the Wayne County Board of Canvassers refusing to certify their election results.”

“This action will allow more time for us to get to the bottom of these deeply troubling irregularities,” Cox, added. “The people of Michigan deserve fair, open and transparent elections, and we will continue to fight for just that.”

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, said in a statement:

Should the current decision of the Board of Wayne County Canvassers hold through the adjournment of today’s meeting, the Board of State Canvassers will be responsible for certifying the Wayne County election. In similar circumstances in the past, state canvassers have appointed the Bureau of Elections to carry out the processes of canvassing the vote and voter totals. The Bureau stands ready to fulfill this duty and we expect this will address clerical errors and improve the quality of the canvass overall. It is common for some precincts in Michigan and across the country to be out of balance by a small number of votes, especially when turnout is high. Importantly, this is not an indication that any votes were improperly cast or counted.