DETROIT – The Michigan Board of State Canvassers ended the controversy over the November election Monday afternoon.
It voted 3-0 to certify the election results with one abstention.
There were circulating rumors that both Republican Board of State Canvassers members were considering voting no and delaying the certification. That did not happen.
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Early on in the meeting Vice Chairman Aaron Van Lengevelde asked this question of Detroit Elections Supervisor Christopher Thomas.
“We’re not a court? No. We have no judicial power if election occurred am I correct?” he asked.
In response Thomas said, “ Yes. You are correct. You are a ministerial body required to follow the dictates of law.”
One person in the middle of the controversy had this reaction.
“I am very happy this nightmare is over. I’m very happy to see that other individuals who take matters of public trust, take their role as seriously as the rest of the 83 county canvassing board members across the state of Michigan,” said Wayne County Board of Canvassers Vice Chairman, Jonathan Kinloch.
Shortly after news of the board certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Michigan spread leaders statewide issued statements in response.
“Democracy has prevailed. Today’s vote of the State Board of Canvassers to certify Michigan’s November election confirms the truth: the election was fair and secure, and the results accurately reflect the will of the voters.
A record breaking 5.5 million Michigan citizens cast ballots in this election, more than ever before in our state’s history. Their will is clear and unequivocal.
Now we turn to the important work of implementing a statewide risk limiting audit and local procedural audits to affirm the integrity of the process and identify opportunities for improvement. And we will continue working with lawmakers at the state and federal level to strengthen our elections even further in the months ahead.
Our democracy, like the election officials who administer it, is resilient. Today it and they survived an unprecedented attack on its integrity. There will no doubt be more similar attacks in the future, based in falsehoods and misinformation. But then, as now, we will be ready to respond as always with facts, data, and the truth,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Michigan Republican and Speaker of the House, Lee Chatfield, was among the several leaders who issued a statement.
“The Board fulfilled its legal duties today in certifying the results, and now our democratic process can move forward. This is America at work. I am also glad the conspiracy theories pushed by far too many Democrats and some talking heads in the media for attention and personal or political gain have finally been put to rest. As we have been saying consistently for weeks, the Legislature will uphold the law and respect this result as it works to improve the process for next time. That includes continuing our work in the House and Senate Oversight committees getting answers for the many people across our state who are concerned about the integrity of the process and giving them the peace of mind they deserve. That too is America at work,” he said.