The leaders of the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee are asking the state Board of Canvassers to delay the certification of election results.
In a letter, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and state GOP chair Laura Cox asked the canvassing board to adjourn for 14 days to allow for an audit of Wayne County's election results.
The Board of State Canvassers is set to meet on Monday.
Jake Rollow, spokesman for the Michigan Department of State, said in a statement:
“Candidates have a right to request a recount after election certification, and if a recount were to find a different winner, that could indeed change the outcome of the election. They are also aware that any claim of election misconduct or fraud should be reported immediately to law enforcement or the Bureau of Elections.
At this time, no evidence of widespread misconduct or fraud has been reported, and judges initially appointed by both Republicans and Democrats have found allegations of widespread fraud to be wholly meritless.
Audits play a different role in Michigan elections - to examine and identify errors for future improvement - and Michigan law prohibits audits prior to state certification of election results. As stated earlier this week, multiple audits are already planned after certification has occurred.
The clerical errors identified in this election by county canvasses are commonplace in the state and across the nation. Importantly, they are not an indication that any votes were improperly cast or wrongly tabulated. What’s more, in many jurisdictions, including Detroit, far fewer errors were committed than in the August primary and the 2016 general elections, both of which were certified at the county and state level without complaint from either major political party.”
