After initially voting against certifying the November election results, the two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers reversed course and ultimately voted to certify the county’s results late Tuesday night.
Tuesday was the final day the board could certify the county’s election results, and the unanimous vote by the four member body — made up of two Democrats and two Republicans — to certify the election came just in time to meet the state’s Nov. 17 deadline.
What happens next?
Now that the county’s board of canvassers has certified the election results, the Board of State Canvassers is tasked with certifying the statewide results. Under Michigan election law, the state board must certify the results by Nov. 23. The state board will meet Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. to provide an update on the canvass of the general election.
Recount petitions for the presidential, Senate, U.S. House and State House seats must be filed with the Secretary of State within 48 hours after the board has certified the statewide results.
A change to Michigan’s recount process made after the 2016 presidential election requires candidates to prove they have a reasonable chance to win in order to initiate a recount. Biden won Michigan by a wide margin — more than 146,000 votes — the state’s unofficial results show. Legal experts said they expect the State Board of Canvassers will meet the deadline for certifying the results of the presidential contest, despite pending lawsuits seeking to delay the process.
The following interview by Fox News sheds some light on what happened.
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After the State Board of Canvassers certifies the statewide results, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will certify the slate of electors nominated by the Michigan Democratic Party to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for president-elect Joe Biden.
*If legal disputes regarding the election are resolved by Dec. 8, the certified statewide results are free from any further legal challenge and Congress must accept them as final.
*Michigan’s 16 presidential electors are scheduled to convene Dec. 14 to cast the state’s Electoral College votes.
*The state has until Dec. 23 to deliver a certificate of its electors to Vice President Mike Pence.
*On Jan. 6, the newly seated 117th Congress will count the electoral votes during a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives to certify the Electoral College tally.
Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Contact her at [email protected] or 313-296-5743 for comments or to suggest a fact-check.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What’s next now that Wayne County Board of Canvassers certified election results
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