Republicans are trying to exclude people who are in the U.S. illegally from the numbers used to portion out congressional seats among the states.

Congress certified President-elect Donald Trump’s election under the tightest national security level possible.

The 2024 presidential election is over, but the path to Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 is just beginning.

This presidential election will be the first since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.

To voters in many other democracies, the process of electing a president in the U.S. is a head-scratcher.

The Electoral College is the unique American system of electing presidents.

Felony forgery charges have been filed in Wisconsin against two attorneys and an aide who helped submit paperwork falsely saying that former President Donald Trump had won the battleground state in 2020.

Ten Republicans who posed as fake electors for former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin and filed paperwork falsely saying he had won the battleground state have settled a civil lawsuit and admitted their actions were part of an effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory.

State attorneys general and the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol are digging deeper into the role that fake slates of electors played in the desperate effort by former President Donald Trump to cling to power after his 2020 defeat.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has asked the state’s attorney general and state police to investigate reports her office has received that an unnamed third party was allowed to access vote tabulator components and technology in Roscommon County.

Former President Donald Trump is intensifying his effort to advance the false narrative that his vice president, Mike Pence, could have done something to prevent Joe Biden from taking office.

The House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection has subpoenaed more than a dozen individuals who it says falsely tried to declare Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 election.

Partisan election reviews of the 2020 presidential election are underway in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin while Republican lawmakers elsewhere continue their calls to bring them to their states.

Nebraska's Republican-controlled legislature is considering changes to the congressional map that would give them an edge in a competitive congressional seat — and the presidential election.

The Pentagon is taking a rare look at whether it is properly prepared for an emergency in which the portable communications system nicknamed the “nuclear football," which always accompanies the president, is lost or stolen.

Officials in Arizona’s largest county plan to stop using voting machines turned over to contractors hired by Republican state senators for a partisan audit of the 2020 election.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is defending his role in certifying the results of the 2020 election and says he is proud of his own actions on Jan. 6.

The investigation included 30 hours of public hearing, witness testimony from nearly 90 people, more than 400 pages of testimony and subpoenaed key documents from Secretary of State and municipal governments.

The House Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Republicans solidly oppose the $15 minimum wage target as an expense that would hurt businesses and cost jobs. In the wake of the decision, Democratic leaders were likely to face unrest from rank-and-file lawmakers, who have long had differences over the federal minimum wage. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have voiced opposition to including the minimum wage hike in the relief bill, and other moderates have expressed concerns, too. “House Democrats believe that the minimum wage hike is necessary. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have state minimum wages that exceed the federal $7.25 hourly floor, with only the District of Columbia currently requiring a $15 minimum.

In this image from video, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., speaks as the House debates the objection to confirm the Electoral College vote from Pennsylvania, at the U.S. Capitol early Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. (House Television via AP)WASHINGTON – Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump, is launching a political action committee to push back against a House GOP leadership team and party that he says have become too closely aligned to the former president. And I think most Republicans didn’t sign up for that.”“It doesn’t mean we don’t need to fight back, you know, to defend what we believe, conservative principles,” he added. “Republicans must say enough is enough," Kinzinger says in the video. “It’s time to unplug the outrage machine, reject the politics of personality, and cast aside the conspiracy theories and the rage.”

DETROIT – Members of Michigan’s House of Representatives want to remove a Republican colleague from office for attending the rally in Washington, D.C. that preceded the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building that left five dead. RELATED: ‘They didn’t care if they hurt people’ -- Michigan lawmakers react to deadly DC riotsRep. Matt Maddock and his wife Meshawn are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump and have tried to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Michigan. Matt Maddock and Meshawn -- who is expected to become the next Republican Party Co-Chair -- spent much of Thursday in closed-door meetings. Matt Maddock was sworn into the Michigan House of Representatives Wednesday. “What we are seeing play out across our country right now is deeply concerning,” Whitmer said.

___5:40 p.m.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer vows there will be an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, even if it’s after he leaves office and Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated. If the House impeaches President Donald Trump, a Senate trial on whether to convict him of inciting insurrection seems all but certain to have to wait until President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated. ___1:05 p.m.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is suggesting that President Donald Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting Arab-Israeli peace. ___12:45 p.m.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump represents a “clear and present danger” to the nation and must be impeached. ___8:15 a.m.Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is predicting more Republicans will join him in voting to impeach President Donald Trump.

Protesters, newspaper editorial boards and local-level Democrats have urged the lawmakers to step down or for their colleagues to kick them out. The House and Senate can remove members with a two-thirds vote or censure or reprimand with a majority. In St. Louis on Saturday, several hundred people protested against Sen. Josh Hawley, the first-term Missouri Republican who led efforts in the Senate to overturn Biden's election. Johnson initially supported Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, but after the riot, he voted in favor of Biden's win. Perry condemned the Capitol violence.

DETROIT – Michigan members of Congress shared details of the violent and deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesday. READ: Michigan lawmakers respond to deadly siege on US Capitol BuildingMembers of Congress continue to reel from the insurrection on Capitol Hill as stories of fear, chaos and bravery have come out. Bill Huizenga was one of them trying to take benches to try and secure the chamber,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell. “I started seeing clips and began to realize that there were mobs that didn’t care if they hurt people or damaged people,” Dingell recalled. Michigan officials are calling for the removal of Maddock and any representative who participated in the violence.

This was a big day, especially for the House and Senate leadership lane, one of my specialties. Smith Goes to Washington” you've seen my work area since a press gallery scene from the movie was filmed there more than 70 years ago. (The Senate chamber, however, was a soundstage). The mob was out of the building by then and, strangely, it almost seemed boring, waiting for the Capitol to be declared safe. The Daily Press Gallery where I work had not been breached.

DETROIT – Some Michigan lawmakers are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office as they recount the terrifying moments when they were told to hide and find shelter. READ: Michigan lawmakers call on Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove Trump from officeThe deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building took place while the entire Congress was on their respective floors. Sen. Debbie Stabenow described the chaos and confusion Thursday morning and said many staffers were visibly upset after reaching a secure location. Related: Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell on Capitol riot: ‘They were attacking what is the symbol of our country and our democracy’“They opened some back doors and -- without telling us exactly what was happening -- they started yelling ‘Go go go go go!’” Stabenow recalled. Related: Michigan GOP Rep. Lisa McClain describes situation inside U.S. CapitolMore coverage

Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) has offered a description of what is was like to be in the U.S. House chambers on Wednesday when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building. “They were attacking the symbol of our country and our democracy, and we have to fight for it.”Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan gives @SavannahGuthrie a firsthand account of what it was like inside the Capitol as pro-Trump rioters broke in on Wednesday afternoon. You saw law enforcement obviously engaged on the floor. You saw law enforcement then -- their protection detail -- take leadership very quickly off of the floor. “They were attacking what is the symbol of our country and our democracy, and we have to fight for it, all of us ...

Violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Wednesday, disrupting the process. One Republican lawmaker publicly called for invoking the 25th Amendment to force Trump from office before Biden is inaugurated. The support Trump has received for his efforts to overturn the election results have badly strained the nation’s democratic guardrails. Some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices. The Pentagon said about 1,100 District of Columbia National Guard members were being mobilized to help support law enforcement at the Capitol.

(Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Congress is set to resume confirming the Electoral College vote for Joe Biden on Wednesday night after supporters of President Trump rioted at the U.S. Capitol, storming into buildings and vandalizing property. More: ‘Protesters are in the building’: US Capitol under siegeThe joint session of Congress resumed at 8 p.m. The Senate rejected a GOP attempt to block counting of Arizona results by a 93-6 margin. Watch live coverage below:The longshot effort is all but certain to fail, defeated by bipartisan majorities in Congress prepared to accept the results. Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20.

A Capitol police officer looks out of a broken window as protesters gather on the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. At about 2:15 p.m., the U.S. Capitol was placed on lockdown as groups breached the Capitol steps. 6 p.m. update: Officials declare Capitol ‘secure’ nearly 4 hours after violent pro-Trump occupiers disrupted electoral count. DC Police just reported that 4 people died as Trump supporters occupied Capitol; 1 woman shot by police, 3 in medical emergencies. The police chief of Washington, D.C., says pro-Trump rioters deployed “chemical irritants” on police in order to break into the U.S. Capitol.

Violence, vandalism, and insurrection have no place in this great country of ours. We are a nation of laws, not mobs,” Whitmer said. “While we come from different backgrounds and political parties, Governor Whitmer and I share a deep love for our country,” Snyder said. That’s why I join with Governor Whitmer in calling on people of goodwill across America to pray for peace, calm, and healing.”“Now is the time to put this election behind us once and for all,” Whitmer added. As Americans, there is no problem we can’t solve, and no challenge we can’t meet.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. House Democrats prepared to defend Michigan election results in CongressMichigan’s house Democrats said they plan to defend Michigan’s election results if there is an objection Wednesday in Congress.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s house Democrats said they plan to defend Michigan’s election results if there is an objection Wednesday in Congress. President-Elect Joe Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. WATCH: Congress holds Electoral College confirmation vote for BidenThe process is ceremonial and is typically a smooth and easy process. Some members of congress who may object were on the ballot in the same election,” said Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee. “As they continue to sow doubt in Michigan’s election results when it comes to the presidential election, they have no issue taking their own oath of office a few days ago.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the presidential election is going before Congress as lawmakers convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden. Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. While other vice presidents, including Al Gore and Richard Nixon, also presided over their own defeats, Pence supports those Republican lawmakers mounting challenges to the 2020 outcome. House Republican lawmakers are signing on to objections to the electoral votes in six states — Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The group led by Cruz is vowing to object unless Congress agreed to form a commission to investigate the election, but that seems unlikely.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the presidential election is going before Congress as lawmakers convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden. Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike. While other vice presidents, including Al Gore and Richard Nixon, also presided over their own defeats, Pence supports those Republican lawmakers mounting challenges to the 2020 outcome. House Republican lawmakers are signing on to objections to the electoral votes in six states — Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the presidential election is going before Congress as lawmakers convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden. Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike. While other vice presidents, including Al Gore and Richard Nixon, also presided over their own defeats, Pence supports those Republican lawmakers mounting challenges to the 2020 outcome. House Republican lawmakers are signing on to objections to the electoral votes in six states — Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the presidential election is going before Congress as lawmakers convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden. Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike. While other vice presidents, including Al Gore and Richard Nixon, also presided over their own defeats, Pence supports those Republican lawmakers mounting challenges to the 2020 outcome. House Republican lawmakers are signing on to objections to the electoral votes in six states — Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Cruz led the first challenge to Joe Biden’s defeat of President Donald Trump by objecting to Arizona’s results. President Donald Trump has falsely said since his defeat that there was widespread fraud in the election. Earlier Wednesday, supporters of President Donald Trump breached the U.S. Capitol, forcing a lockdown of the lawmakers and staff inside. ___6:30 p.m.Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is blaming President Donald Trump for inciting a violent “insurrection” at the Capitol. President Trump lost.″___6:25 p.m.President Donald Trump has appeared to justify the violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the House chamber for the Senate to consider objections to certify Electoral College votes, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. All 50 states have certified the electoral votes. Freshman Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has said he will challenge Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia were all pivotal states that Biden carried on his way to his 306-232 Electoral College win. McConnell, 78, has been the Republican leader since 2007 and is the longest-serving Senate GOP leader in history.

Some Republican lawmakers were in the midst of raising objections to the results on his behalf when the proceedings were abruptly halted by the mob. Together, the protests and the GOP election objections amounted to an almost unthinkable challenge to American democracy and exposed the depths of the divisions that have coursed through the country during Trump’s four years in office. Before dawn Thursday, lawmakers completed their work, confirming Biden won the presidential election. In the aftermath, several Republicans announced they would drop their objections to the election, including Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who lost her bid for reelection Tuesday. Some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices.

The other six members are Republicans and include four from the so-called Kraken Caucus and the state’s two freshmen members. Newly sworn in Michigan Republican congressman Peter Meijer’s office was reached, but did not have an official comment on what he would do Wednesday. The vote to object is expected to ultimately fail to overturn the election results, with or without an emergency audit. Currently, the objectors do not have the votes to reject an electoral college vote from any state. Objectors have also been explicit about asking for an audit, which already takes place in the State of Michigan.

Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Trump said in Georgia: “I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan — have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election.

Of the more than 50 lawsuits the president and his allies have filed challenging election results, nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. Other prominent former officials also criticized the ongoing attack on election results. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. The convening of the joint session to count the Electoral College votes has faced objections before. States choose their own election officials and draft their election laws.

The group says that if the 10-day audit isn’t granted, they will object to the Electoral College votes that have declared Biden the president-elect. Michigan Republicans are joining the last-ditch effort to overturn the election results. More than 100 Republican House members from the so-called Kraken Caucus are also expected to object to the presidential election results next week. This week, Democratic Senator Gary Peters called objections to the election results deliberate attempts to undermine trust in American elections. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped.

Caught in the middle is Vice President Mike Pence, who faces growing pressure and a lawsuit from Trump's allies over his ceremonial role in presiding over the session Wednesday. Biden is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20 after winning the Electoral College vote 306-232. “A suit to establish that the Vice President has discretion over the count, filed against the Vice President, is a walking legal contradiction,” the department argues. The Republican leader pointedly called on Hawley to answer questions about his challenge to Biden's victory, according to two of the Republicans. When Biden was vice president, he, too, presided over the session as the Electoral College presented the 2016 vote tally to Congress to confirm Trump the winner.

DETROIT – Preliminary numbers from the U.S. census indicate Michigan could lose clout in Washington, D.C. and in the Electoral College. While Michigan’s population grew about 1% since the last census in 2010, the national average for population growth was 6% this year. READ: US population growth smallest in at least 120 yearsThe final census numbers are not official, but the preliminary numbers put Michigan’s population at 9,986,857 versus the 9,884,116 in 2010. Detroit’s population estimate for 2020 is 670,031 people -- down from 713,898 -- which means it’s probable the congressional map will be redrawn and Michigan will lose a seat in the House of Representatives, lowering the number of Michigan representatives from 14 to 13. The loss of congressional seat also means a reduction of electoral votes for the state, from 16 to 15.

In the latest filing, the attorney for Wayne County, Robert Davis, called on the federal judge in Michigan’s Eastern District to sanction lawyers for six Michigan Trump supporters suing Gov. Sanctions for Michigan AG, Secretary of StateTuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel also said her office along with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will likely file sanctions of their own to get attorneys such as Powell banned from state courtrooms. That attorney, Matthew DePerno, has been a frequent guest of the far-right outlet Newsmax, a recent favorite of President Trump’s. The case is still ongoing in state court. The suit alleges that by allowing a state’s executive branch to certify a presidential election instead of state legislatures, it violates the constitution.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers then record and count the votes, and the presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.

“As conservative media proliferated, it put a lot more pressure on the hosts to move to the right and embrace warfare politics,” Rosenwald said. This is a business.”Hemmer said she expects the Electoral College vote will begin to shift the narrative from “the election is undecided" to “the election was stolen.”The difficulty of that transition was evident in coverage of the Electoral College voting. With Congress meeting Jan. 6 to formally count the Electoral College vote, Kelly said, “the way I read it, we won't have a president-elect until then.”CNN treated it like a second election night, keeping a running tally of Electoral College votes on the screen. The Electoral College vote led Bret Baier's newscast, which was not a given considering COVID-19 vaccinations began Monday. Meanwhile, daytime anchor Bill Hemmer's hourlong newscast didn't even mention the Electoral College.

BREAKING: Senate Majority Leader McConnell: "The Electoral College has spoken ... Today, I want to congratulate President-elect Biden." The Electoral College has spoke,” said McConnell. I also want to congratulate the vice president-elect, our colleague from California, Senator Harris. Beyond our differences, all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first time. The results will be sent to Washington and tallied in a Jan. 6 joint session of Congress over which Vice President Mike Pence will preside.

Then he pivoted, privately warning Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results. “I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate. Some GOP lawmakers have vowed to carry the fight to Jan. 6 when Congress votes to accept or reject the Electoral College results. One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is planning to challenge the Electoral College results when Congress convenes for the joint session. The GOP leaders further warned senators that forcing their colleagues into a vote on Electoral College challenges would prove difficult, especially for those facing their own reelections in 2022.

Democrat Joe Biden won the Nov. 3 election. California’s 55 electoral votes put Biden over the top. Biden won the state by 154,000 votes, or 2.8 percentage points, over Trump. Republicans who would have been Trump electors met anyway in a handful of states Biden won. In North Carolina, Utah and other states across the country where Trump won, his electors turned out to duly cast their ballots for him.

He said Monday’s Electoral College vote “was significant.”Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn said barring further legal challenges it appears Biden will be president. Others have said Trump's legal battles should continue toward resolution by inauguration day, Jan. 20. "Once the Electoral College has voted, most people are going to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect." "Although I supported President Trump, the Electoral College vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now President-Elect,” said Sen. Many Republicans are unwilling to declare Biden the winner for the same reasons they avoided standing up to Trump during his presidency.

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)WASHINGTON – For weeks, President Donald Trump has put America's democratic institutions under unprecedented strain as he fights to hold power despite losing his bid for reelection. On Monday, the Electoral College did its part, formally confirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory over Trump. Anything less than certification of Biden's victory would amount to an unprecedented undermining of a free and fair American election. After both governors certified the Democrat’s victory, Trump cast them as traitors to his cause. Shortly after Biden's Electoral College victory was confirmed, Trump announced that Barr was departing the administration before Christmas.

The state of Michigan and its 16 Electoral Votes have gone to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. READ: Michigan electors unanimously seal election win for Joe Biden, Kamala HarrisPolice were brought in to escort Electors into Michigan’s Capitol in Lansing on Monday. There was a lot of concern over the possibility of violence so Michigan State Police were out in full force. I will work just as hard for those of you who didn’t vote for me, as I will for those who did. READ: Michigan GOP Rep. Gary Eisen removed from committee after comments on Electoral College disruption

DETROIT – Joe Biden has cleared the 270-electoral-vote mark to formalize his presidential victory with California’s 55 votes. The Electoral College took on added importance this year because of President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede he lost his race for reelection. Today, Michigan convened its meeting of electors in the Senate chamber of the Michigan Capitol Building to cast all 16 electoral votes for Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the Electoral College. “Today, Michigan has spoken with one voice as the 16 electors voted unanimously to finalize Michigan’s election results in the Electoral College,” said Michigan Gov. “Today’s Electoral College vote caps off an historic election that was safe, fair, and secure.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan electors gathered on Monday to fulfill their constitutional duty to elect the winner of the popular vote for the office of U.S. president and vice president. On Monday afternoon, Michigan electors unanimously cast 16 Electoral College votes for Joe Biden for president. They also unanimously cast 16 votes for Kamala Harris for vice president. The meeting was a formality, as Michigan electors are required by law to vote for the winner of the popular vote. Michigan has 16 electors to reflect the number of senators and representatives it has in the U.S. Congress.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s top Republican says the state’s Senate oversight committee has not found evidence of fraud on a scale that would change the outcome of the 2020 election. Michigan Senate Leader Mike Shirkey said this in a statement Monday as the state’s electors are scheduled to gather to seal the Electoral College win for Joe Biden. More from Shirkey below:“Today Michigan’s electors convene, according to state law, to cast their votes for the next president and vice president of the United States. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris won Michigan’s presidential election. And I intend to.”Related: Michigan Electors to be given police escort to Lansing Capitol Building for vote

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Rep. Gary Eisen has been removed from his committee assignments for the rest of the term after he made comments during a radio interview on Monday. Whitmer, Secretary Benson, Rep. Johnson and others on the Oversight committee, Republicans, Democrats, and members of the Electoral College. Because of that, Rep. Eisen has been removed from his committee assignments for the rest of the term. Our group, who will also be at the Capitol today to request to be seated as electors, intends to participate in our democracy peacefully. Rep. Gary EisenREAD: Michigan State House and Senate offices close Monday during Electoral College vote

Watch live coverage as state electors across the country meet to formally cast their electoral college votes for president and vice president. Watch live national coverage here beginning at 10 a.m. Monday:

WASHINGTON – The Latest on the Electoral College meeting (all times local):9:40 a.m.Michigan legislative offices are closed because of threats of violence as presidential electors prepare to gather in the state Capitol to cast their votes for Democrat Joe Biden. The Capitol building is closed to the public due to coronavirus restrictions except when lawmakers meet for session. Democrat Joe Biden won the Nov. 3 election with 306 Electoral College votes, while President Donald Trump finished with 232. It takes 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency. STATES THAT HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES: None.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s electors gathered Monday to cast Electoral College votes to officially seal the presidential election win for Joe Biden. UPDATE: The Michigan electors have unanimously cast 16 Electoral College votes for Joe Biden for president. They also unanimously cast 16 votes for Kamala Harris for vice president. Watch national coverage here beginning at 10 a.m.:Michigan has 16 electors to reflect the number of senators and representatives it has in the U.S. Congress. More: What’s in store when the Electoral College meetsAccording to Michigan law, all 16 Michigan electoral votes automatically go to the presidential candidate who won the popular vote, which in this case was Joe Biden.

Electoral College members will meet Monday in each state to cast their official ballots for president. UPDATE: The Michigan electors have unanimously cast 16 Electoral College votes for Joe Biden for president. They also unanimously cast 16 votes for Kamala Harris for vice president. All Nov. 3, 2020 General Election results in each state were certified by last week’s deadline. The vote will help seal Democrat Joe Biden’s win with 306 electoral votes to President Trump’s 232.

President-elect Joe Biden speaks after the Electoral College formally elected him as president, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. The presidential electors gave Biden a solid majority of 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232, the same margin that Trump bragged was a landslide when he won the White House four years ago. California’s 55 electoral votes put Biden over the top. Republicans who would have been Trump electors met anyway in a handful of states Biden won. With the exception of Maine and Nebraska, states award all their Electoral College votes to the winner of the popular vote in their state.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State House, Senate and Capitol buildings will be closed Monday as the Electoral College meets. RELATED: What’s in store when the Electoral College meets“The decision was not made because of anticipated protests, but was made based on credible threats of violence,” McCann said. That decision is made by the Capitol Commission.”Electors will be given police escorts Monday and one said she’s taking things further and will be wearing a bullet-proof vest. You can watch the Electoral College meeting here. Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani has targeted Detroit in recent weeks, despite there being no evidence of fraud in the city.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State House, Senate and Capitol buildings will be closed Monday as the Electoral College meets. According to Rep. Darrin Camilleri, the entire legislature will be working remotely due to safety concerns during the Electoral College vote. RELATED: What’s in store when the Electoral College meetsCamilleri said he was not briefed on the potential threats, but said when the offices have closed in the past, it was due to threats. You can watch the Electoral College meeting here. I call on the House Republicans who joined the recent court case to publicly apologize, renounce their actions and respect the will of the voters.

Workers at the Pfizer manufacturing facility in Portage filled boxes of the first authorized COVID-19 vaccine through the night into Sunday morning. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 430,780 as of Saturday, including 10,662 deaths, state officials report. The state crossed the 10,000 mark in total deaths earlier this week. Officials no longer provide updates on statewide coronavirus data on Sundays. The next data update is expected Monday afternoon.

That's when the Electoral College meets. Some questions and answers about the Electoral College:WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? In drafting the Constitution, America's founders struggled with how the new nation should choose its leader and ultimately created the Electoral College system. WHAT'S THE BEEF WITH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? The Electoral College has been the subject of criticism for more than two centuries.

That's when the Electoral College meets. Some questions and answers about the Electoral College:WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? In drafting the Constitution, America's founders struggled with how the new nation should choose its leader and ultimately created the Electoral College system. WHAT'S THE BEEF WITH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? The Electoral College has been the subject of criticism for more than two centuries.

This year's presidential race provides the latest motivation for change to supporters of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. It would compel member states to award their electoral votes to the winner of the nationwide popular vote. Under the Electoral College, each state's number of electoral votes equals the size of its congressional delegation. “Nonetheless, National Popular Vote is working to obtain support for the compact in Congress.”After Bush and Trump won the White House despite losing the popular vote, the push to change the system has become more partisan. A national popular vote measure, for example, passed the Republican-controlled New York Senate back then, but didn’t get through the Democrat-controlled Assembly.

HOUSTON – The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a lawsuit backed by President Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory, ending a desperate attempt to get legal issues rejected by state and federal judges before the nation’s highest court. The court’s order was its second this week rebuffing Republican requests that it get involved in the 2020 election outcome. Trump had called the lawsuit filed by Texas against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin “the big one” that would end with the Supreme Court undoing Biden’s substantial Electoral College majority and allowing Trump to serve another four years in the White House. But they would not have done as Texas wanted pending resolution of the lawsuit, and set aside those four states’ 62 electoral votes for Biden. The four states sued by Texas had urged the court to reject the case as meritless.

That's when the Electoral College meets. Some questions and answers about the Electoral College:WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? In drafting the Constitution, America's founders struggled with how the new nation should choose its leader and ultimately created the Electoral College system. WHAT'S THE BEEF WITH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? The Electoral College has been the subject of criticism for more than two centuries.

Kathy Kratt of Orlando, Fla., displays her Trump flags as she and other protesters demonstrate their support for President Donald Trump at the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. Trump bemoaned the decision late Friday, tweeting: “The Supreme Court really let us down. Two days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed his suit, Trump jumped into the high court case. “If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!” he tweeted Friday afternoon. Many Republican voters in several states won by Biden have demanded that their elected officials find a way to invalidate the president-elect's victories.

HONOLULU – Hawaii on Tuesday certified the results of its presidential vote after the state Supreme Court dismissed an elections complaint challenging the entirety of the Nov. 3 general election in the islands. President-elect Joe Biden won 63.1% of Hawaii’s vote, compared to President Donald Trump’s 34%, according to the final summary report from the state Office of Elections. The pending court case had held up certification of the presidential vote for more than two weeks. The plaintiffs alleged the state’s non-partisan Office of Elections violated state law when they implemented the state’s new vote-by-mail system this year. Hawaii’s elections are administered by the Office of Elections, a state agency that reports to the bipartisan Hawaii State Elections Commission.

The safe harbor deadline is six days earlier. The attention paid to the normally obscure safe harbor provision is a function of Trump's unrelenting efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the election. Judge Stephen Simanek, appointed to hear the case, has acknowledged that the case would push the state outside the electoral vote safe harbor. The safe harbor provision played a prominent role in the Bush v. Gore case after the 2000 presidential election. The Supreme Court shut down Florida’s state-court-ordered recount because the safe harbor deadline was approaching.

California certified its presidential election Friday and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House. There have been no suggestions that any of Biden's pledged electors would contemplate not voting for him. Results of the Electoral College vote are due to be received, and typically approved, by Congress on Jan. 6. Trump has fruitlessly tried to stop those states from certifying Biden as the winner and appointing electors for the former vice president. If they don't, the electors appointed by the states' governors — all pledged to Biden in these cases — must be used.

He filed another one in state court, which the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear before it first goes through lower courts. “I have a very, very hard time seeing how this is justiciable in the federal court,” Ludwig, a Trump appointee, said. Bush saying, “Not gonna do it.”In his state lawsuit, Trump is seeking to disqualify 221,000 ballots he claims were cast illegally. Jim Troupis, Trump's attorney in the state lawsuit, argued his case should take precedent over the federal lawsuit, where Troupis is not the attorney. Two others filed by Trump allies — one in federal court and one in state court — remain.

DETROIT – Several Republicans went straight to the Michigan Supreme Court in an effort to try and stop Michigan’s electoral votes from going to President-Elect Joe Biden. Michigan has already certified its election results, but President Donald Trump and his supporters are still hoping to find a way around the process. This latest lawsuit is only one of a few continuing the president and his campaign’s calls to undo an election they lost. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the chair of the Board of State Canvassers, Jeannette Bradshaw, who certified Michigan’s election Monday. The suit also comes after Trump falsely claimed the election results in Detroit were fake during a Thanksgiving address to members of the military stationed overseas.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump still won't bring himself to concede the election he decisively lost to President-elect Joe Biden. “Certainly I will," he said Thursday when asked if he will vacate the premises after electors make Biden's win formal. But there were a few signs that Trump was coming to terms with his loss. “Because we know there was massive fraud.”Electors “will have made a mistake” by affirming Biden's win, he said. Trump said he doesn't “want to talk about 2024 yet.”“This has a long way to go,” Trump said, even though he lost.

DETROIT – The envoy of Michigan Republican lawmakers who traveled to the White House Friday for a controversial meeting with President Donald Trump returned home Saturday. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey refused to answer questions despite releasing a statement the day before. There were also photos of Chatfield and several other Michigan Republicans drinking inside Trump Hotel while seated at a table. The State Board of Canvassers meets Monday to vote on certifying the state election. Since the presidential election Republican leaders have made allegations of voter fraud without substantial evidence.

The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden won the state of Georgia in the General Election. As of 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Georgia in favor of Joe Biden. Biden will receive 16 electoral votes from Georgia -- however, a candidate is allowed to request a recount in Georgia if the margin is within 0.5 percentage points. As of Thursday, Biden leads over Trump in Georgia by more than 12,000 votes, which is a 0.25 percent difference. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election -- which Biden surpassed after winning the state of Pennsylvania on Saturday, Nov. 7.

All rights reserved)The Associated Press is projecting that Republican presidential candidate and incumbent Donald Trump won the state of North Carolina in the General Election. As of 3:48 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of North Carolina in favor of Donald Trump. Trump will receive 15 electoral votes from North Carolina. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. On Saturday, Nov. 7, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was declared the winner of the November election.

The number of electors is equal to the number of electoral votes held by each state. — Dec. 14: Electors vote by paper ballot in their respective states and the District of Columbia. With the verdict in some states still to come, Biden already has won enough states to be awarded more than 270 electoral votes. Any objection to a state’s electoral vote has to be approved by both houses in order for any contested votes to be excluded. If neither presidential candidate got at least 270 electoral votes, the House would decide the election, based on the 12th Amendment to the Constitution.

The delay has the potential to upend civic norms, impede Biden’s transition to the White House and sow doubt in the nation’s civic and election systems. Trump would need to produce ample evidence of impropriety to undo Biden’s lead, which appears unlikely. Trump and his GOP allies haven’t offered evidence of election fraud, and their legal challenges have largely been rejected by the courts. McConnell noted the potential turmoil during the transition in praising ousted Defense Secretary Mark Esper, whom Trump fired on Monday. The stakes are high for all sides, with strategists expecting an eye-popping $500 million could be spent in the weeks ahead.

DETROIT – On Saturday, Joe Biden clinched the presidential nomination with Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes. There is still a weeks-long timeline, during which the 538-member Electoral College picks the president. READ: Electoral College vs. popular vote in the United States: What to knowBecause democrat Gary Peters was more popular than Republican John James by more than 84,000 votes, Peters will remain a Michigan Senator. The Electoral College was devised because in the 1700′s the electorate, or general population, was thought to lack the knowledge and resources to have the ability to choose who was in the most important office in the country. Whoever wins the pot, wins the state and it’s electors.

All rights reserved)The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the state of Nevada in the General Election. As of 9:13 a.m. PST on Saturday, November 7, AP called the presidential race in the state of Nevada in favor of Biden. Biden will receive 6 electoral votes from Nevada. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. Read more: Harris becomes first Black woman, South Asian elected VPFollow live 2020 General Election results here.

President Donald Trump has failed to win reelection, falling to Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, the Associated Press projected Saturday morning. As of 11:25 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 7, AP called the presidential race in the state of Pennsylvania in favor of Biden. EXPLAINER: Why AP called Pennsylvania for BidenBiden will receive 20 electoral votes from Pennsylvania. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. This Pennsylvania win is enough to give Biden 284 electoral votes, allowing news outlets to project he has won the election.

All rights reserved)The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the 2020 presidential election after wining the state of Pennsylvania. With this projected win in Pennsylvania, the AP is projecting Biden has defeated President Trump in the 2020 race for president. EXPLAINER: Why AP called Pennsylvania for BidenBiden will receive 20 electoral votes from Pennsylvania. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. This Pennsylvania win is enough to give Biden 284 electoral votes.

All rights reserved)The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the state of Pennsylvania in the General Election. With this projected win in Pennsylvania, the AP is projecting Biden has defeated President Trump in the 2020 race for president. As of 11:25 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 7, AP called the presidential race in the state of Pennsylvania in favor of Biden. EXPLAINER: Why AP called Pennsylvania for BidenBiden will receive 20 electoral votes from Pennsylvania. This Pennsylvania win is enough to give Biden 284 electoral votes.

Here, Colleen Long, a national reporter in the Washington bureau of The Associated Press who is leading coverage of the legal challenges, breaks down how these lawsuits could affect the presidential election. In Pennsylvania and Michigan, the campaign wanted to temporarily halt vote counting until Republicans got more oversight of the tally. Election law experts and state election officials have overwhelmingly said there has been no sign of widespread or even sporadic voter fraud. Bush v. Gore in 2000 was a good example of how litigation can affect the outcome of an election. No, there were hundreds filed before the election by both sides, and they had to do with changes to how the election was going to work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the state of Michigan in the General Election. As of 6 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 4, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Michigan in favor of Biden. Biden will receive 16 electoral votes from Michigan. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. That was Michigan’s smallest margin of victory for a presidential candidate in its history.

WHAT BIDEN SAIDBiden also addressed his supporters in the middle of the night, pleading for their patience while the votes are counted. “It ain’t over until every vote is counted, every ballot is counted,” Biden said. LEGAL CHALLENGESThe Trump campaign says it has filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan, demanding better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted. Trump, meanwhile, won overwhelming support from white and rural supporters to turn out voters in the places that powered his victory four years ago. In some competitive states, like Nevada and Florida, Trump ate away at Biden’s support among Latinos.

The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the state of Wisconsin in the General Election. As of 1:16 p.m. CST on Wednesday, November 4, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Wisconsin in favor of Biden. Biden will receive 10 electoral votes from Wisconsin. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. Follow live 2020 General Election results here.

A full day after Election Day, neither candidate had cleared the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. Trump’s campaign requested a recount, though statewide recounts in Wisconsin have historically changed the vote tally by only a few hundred votes. After the victories in Wisconsin and Michigan, he was just six Electoral College votes away from the presidency. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said the president would formally request a Wisconsin recount, citing “irregularities" in several counties. The Trump campaign on Wednesday pushed Republican donors to dig deeper into their pockets to help finance legal challenges.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the state of Arizona in the General Election. As of 12:5 a.m. MST on Wednesday, November 4, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Arizona in favor of Donald Trump. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. Follow live 2020 General Election results here.

All rights reserved)The Associated Press is projecting that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has won the state of Arizona in the General Election. As of 12:51 a.m. MST on Wednesday, November 4, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Arizona in favor of Biden. Biden will receive 11 electoral votes from Arizona. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. Follow live 2020 General Election results here.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. The Associated Press is projecting that Republican presidential candidate and incumbent Donald Trump won the state of Texas in the General Election. As of 1:07 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Texas in favor of Donald Trump. Trump will receive 38 electoral votes from Texas. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. The Associated Press is projecting that Republican presidential candidate and incumbent Donald Trump won the state of Florida in the General Election. As of 12:36 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Florida in favor of Donald Trump. Trump will receive 29 electoral votes from Florida. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election.

The Associated Press is projecting that Republican presidential candidate and incumbent Donald Trump won the state of Montana in the General Election. As of 12:21 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, AP is calling the presidential race in the state of Montana in favor of Donald Trump. Trump will receive three electoral votes from Montana. A presidential candidate requires at least 270 electoral votes to win the election. Follow live 2020 General Election results here.