Pressure mounted on state and local officials in battleground states to accept claims of ballot-counting irregularities and voter fraud in the election despite a lack of evidence, as Republicans sought new ways to block certification of Joe Biden’s clear victory in the presidential race.
In Michigan, Republican lawyers lobbied the Wayne County canvassing board to consider evidence of alleged improprieties before certifying the vote. In Pennsylvania, GOP lawmakers were the target of social media campaigns demanding the appointment of electors who favor President Trump. And in Georgia, the Republican secretary of state defended the election and announced a hand audit of the results, despite calls by the state’s Republican senators for him to resign over alleged problems.ADhttps://0eb14ecbad31f2416426b5ebf649f8c5.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
The efforts in these states — where Biden has won or is leading in the count — come as the Trump campaign struggles to amass genuine evidence of fraud that will pass muster in court. Republican lawsuits seeking to challenge the Nov. 3 election results so far have foundered, and affidavits cited as proof of election fraud in cities such as Detroit have failed to substantiate serious claims that votes were counted illegally.
While the Trump campaign’s lawsuits have so far been “summarily dismissed,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) said Wednesday that she is concerned the GOP may try to use baseless claims about irregularities or vote tampering to disrupt the certification of Biden’s win, depriving him of the state’s 16 electoral votes.
“It appears as though that is the strategy they are pursuing,” Nessel said on a call with reporters held by the nonpartisan Voter Protection Project. “We will do everything we can possibly do in the state of Michigan to ensure that that does not occur and that the slate of electors accurately reflects whoever received the most votes.”…
The state’s 83 county canvassing boards are required to complete their certification by Nov. 17. If a county cannot agree to certify results, it is required to send data to the state canvassing board, which meets Nov. 23 to consider certification.
If that board reaches an impasse, state law directs the legislature to act. While that is a long-shot possibility that has never happened, Democrats are now beginning to express worry about it.
The Senate majority leader and the speaker of the state House, both Republicans, declined requests for comment Wednesday. However, the speaker, Lee Chatfield, tweeted recently that “whoever gets the most votes will win Michigan! Period. End of story. Then we move on.”
A person familiar with the speaker’s thinking said that he and other Republicans do not want the legislature to decide the vote in Michigan.