The bipartisan Michigan Board of State Canvassers has certified the results of the statewide November elections in one of the final acts toward closing the books.
The board cast a unanimous 4-0 vote to certify following a lengthy meeting that included detailed explanations of how the votes were counted and the board’s role in the process. The state’s certification followed county boards doing the same at the local level and making sure that any discrepancies were fixed.
The meeting was not as raucous or noisy as the one finalizing the one finalizing 2020 presidential election, but there was applause and jeers in the room as the board voted.
Republican board Chair Tony Daunt said he’s not happy with the Democratic sweep in statewide races. But he said board members couldn’t violate their constitutional duty and give in to people who want to reject the results because they don’t like the outcome of the elections.
“That is dangerous to the system,” he said. “It feeds lies into people’s heads, and it creates problems where people have no trust in how things turned out.”
“That’s not my job, to impart my personal opinion, it’s to look at the results and what the people of Michigan said and I’m here to certify that, and it’s unfortunate, ultimately it’s sad that so many people believe some of these things because they’ve been told to believe them by people they trust,” said Daunt.
One person was removed from the meeting after multiple disruptions.
Democratic board member Mary Ellen Gurewitz said people calling for a delay in certifying the results didn’t understand the board’s responsibilities.
“There’s no reason not to do it today,” she said, “but it is important in order for the people who have won elections to take office. We don’t have any investigatory powers, so there’s nothing to delay.”
Certification also opens the doors to other options for people dissatisfied with the election results. It leaves time for recounts and lawsuits to be resolved before new terms begin in January.
