Just hit the wires in the past few minutes.
Michigan’s top elections board on Monday certified Joe Biden’s win in the state’s presidential vote, dealing President Donald Trump yet another blow in his effort to block the Democrat’s national victory.
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers certified the popular election results in a 3-0 vote. Republican board member Aaron Van Langevelde voted to certify the votes, while the other GOP member, Norm Shinkle, abstained.
Shinkle, who indicated before the meeting that he would oppose certification until after an audit or investigation of the results was conducted, asked the Michigan legislature to undertake an “in depth review of all election processes and procedures in Michigan.”
Under Michigan law, however, an audit is conducted after the results of an election are certified, a point emphasized by a number of those who testified on Monday.
“Those who question the outcome, the remedy comes after you say yes,” Christopher Thomas, former Michigan director of elections who worked under Republican and Democrat secretaries of state, told the board members in virtual testimony at the outset of the meeting.
“The board’s duty today is very clear,” said Van Langevelde. “We have a duty to certify this election based on these returns. That is very clear. We are limited to these returns. I’m not going to argue that we’re not.”
He said he wanted to hear public comment before voting. Three hours into what normally is a routine meeting, hundreds of people were waiting to testify. At times, more than 30,000 were watching the livestream.
The legislators said they had seen no evidence of fraud that would invalidate the popular vote, and that they would follow state law, which mandates the state’s Electoral College votes go to the winner of popular ballots.
The campaign dropped a federal lawsuit challenging ballots in the Detroit area last week. The certification triggers the selection of electors who are sent to meet with the rest of the Electoral College on Dec. 14.
