The Michigan Board of State canvassers is scheduled to meet today to certify the results of the November 3rd presidential election. The canvassers normally operate in relative obscurity with their certification duties a matter of routine. That is not the case this year. President Trump has claimed he won the election. Unofficial returns show Joe Biden the winner. The Board of Canvassers is made up of two Democrats and two Republicans. So a deadlock is possible.
A tie would likely end up in the courts.
The Michigan and national Republican parties, along with John James, the Republican candidate for the U-S Senate, have asked the board to delay today’s certification. Unofficial results show James lost to Senator Gary Peters by just over 92-thousand votes. James and the local and national GOP chairs say they want what they call a ‘full and transparent audit’ of the voting.
Liberal and Democratic Party officials and other groups, including The League of Women Voters of Michigan, the ACLU and the Detroit Branch of the NAACP have urged the Board of State Canvassers to certify the votes. A growing number of Republican office-holders are also urging certification. Federal law does give states until December 8th to certify their election results. The Electoral College is set to convene on December 14th.
