The Michigan GOP and the Republican National Committee are asking the Board of State Canvassers in the state of Michigan to delay the certification of election results for two weeks to investigate “anomalies and credible reports of procedural irregularities” they claimed occurred in the election, Detroit News reported.
“In light of the already unprecedented nature of this election–conducted largely by mail in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, it would be a grievous dereliction of this board’s duty to the people of Michigan not to ensure that the irregularities identified by the James campaign are thoroughly investigated by a full audit before certifying Wayne County’s results,” Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman, Laura Cox and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel wrote in a letter.
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Republican candidate for Senate John James made a similar request on Friday, after the results show him losing to Democratic incumbent Sen. Gary Peters by 92,000 votes.
What the Republicans are asking is simply not possible. An audit cannot be completed prior to certification because “election officials do not have legal access to the documents needed to complete audits until the certification,” according to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
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But Cox and McDaniel argued that its possible to still investigate some claims like, unbalanced poll books in Wayne County and still meet the December 8 deadline for certification.
“To simply gloss over those irregularities now without a thorough audit would only foster feelings of distrust among Michigan’s electorate” they claim.
The board of canvassers will meet on Monday to consider the certification of results.
This is the latest attempt by the Trump campaign and Republicans to delay the certification of results in key battleground states after losing in court.
On Friday, top Michigan state lawmakers say they will “follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors,” after their meeting with Donald Trump at the White House.
