The Michigan Board of Canvassers meeting has begun.
Preliminary remarks by Jonathan Brater touts "unprecedented" and "inspiring" public participation during a pandemic.
"Few see or well understand the dedication that it takes to run an election," Mr. Brater observes, adding this means they usually hear from the critics—particularly the unfair one.
"Overall, we had an extremely well run and secure election," Brater notes.
"We have not identified an provision of law" that would allow for a pre-certification audit requested by their critics, Brater notes.
Julie Matuzak moves to certify the election results.
GOP'S Aaron Van Langevelde asks to hear members of the public before voting on the motion, even if he concedes they "have a duty" to certify.
"We have a duty to certify these returns," he adds.
Norman Shinkle is now up, the holdout asking Christopher Thomas about the legality of a no vote.
Thomas replies tells him he cannot.
"Without a yes, you don't have anything. No winners, no losers."
"It doesn't give you the ability to perform pre-certification audits."
If Shinkle has the results, Thomas adds: "I don't think you can adjourn."
"You don't have authority to do an audit," Thomas replies, explaining the law.
Langevelde begins to speak and talks about Thomas's "important" clarifications of the Board's role.
He refers to the statutory language is that the board "shall" certify.
Q: You would agree that this board has a legal duty, correct?
He agrees.
Thomas: The Board is a "ministerial" body, not a "tribunal" to decide legal matters or constitutional questions.
"You are not a body to investigate fraud," Thomas notes.
"You can't really investigate fraud. I mean, the Secretary of State cannot really investigate fraud!"
Note:
Every single federal and state court in Michigan has either found fraud allegations meritless. In one instance, the Trump campaign abandoned its suit before the court could hear it.
The court previously ruled that the proceeding for an independent court inquiry into Mayor de Blasio and the city's conduct could move ahead.
Oliver notes that the city hasn't moved forward on its appeal.
Steven Kitzinger, the city's lawyer, said that the case "remains in limbo, in purgatory" because the judge denied the motion to dismiss but didn't grant the application for the summary inquiry.
Justice Madden: "I'm having a little trouble following your argument, Mr. Kitzinger."
Despite every baseless fraud allegation collapsing in Michigan's federal and state courts, @MIGOPChair and @GOP want to delay certification scheduled for Monday for 14 days based on claims they cannot prove before judges.
In a federal case in Michigan, the Trump campaign withdrew their claims and then lied about the reason in a court filing. lawandcrime.com/2020-election/…
"The results were accurate and complete, and it's time to move forward."
Vice-Chairman @JackSellers's remarks moving to certify Maricopa County, AZ election returns on Fri.
4-GOP
1-Dem
Unanimous approval.
WATCH how it happened.
Highlight reel in thread.
"It's time to dial back the rhetoric, conspiracies and false claims. In a free democracy, elections result in some people's candidate losing... I'm not going to violate the law or deviate from my own more compass."
— Chair @ClintLHickman (R), adding some pushed him to do that
"I have not played games with any other canvass we have voted we have voted on over the past eight years of sitting in this chair and as sitting on this board. I am not calculating or playing games today."
— Maricopa County Supervisor @Steve_Chucri (R), certifying the election
JUDGE: "In other words, Plaintiffs ask this Court to disenfranchise almost seven million voters. This Court has been unable to find any case in which a plaintiff has sought such a drastic remedy in the contest of an election."
That outcome would require "compelling legal arguments and factual proof."
"I was inspired by my grandfather who was a World War II vet. He went to Europe to fight for democracy."
One of Maricopa County's four GOP supervisors explains why he voted together with a Democrat to certify a vote that led to POTUS-elect Joe Biden's victory in Arizona.
WATCH
A moving speech by @BillGatesAZ, one of many delivered with his fellow five-member board in Arizona last night.
To reiterate, every single member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors—comprised of four Republicans and one Democrat—voted last night to certify the election there.