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Two Michigan Republicans who initially blocked certification of US election results for the county that includes Detroit despite no evidence of fraud before passing them now say they want to rescind their certification.
Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, the two Republican pollsters in Wayne County, said in a statement released Wednesday night (local time) that they only voted to certify the results after “hours of sustained pressure” and after receiving promises. that your concerns about the elections would be investigated.
“We deserve better, but more importantly, the American people deserve better than being forced to accept an outcome achieved through intimidation, deception and threats of violence,” they said in the statement. “Wayne County voters must have full confidence in this process.”
Robin Buckson / AP
Wayne County Board of Electors President Monica Palmer, left, speaks with Vice President Jonathan Kinloch before the board voted to certify the results.
It is unclear if they can rescind their votes. A message left at Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office was not immediately returned. The Michigan Democratic Party issued a statement Thursday on behalf of President Lavora Barnes saying they could not.
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“There is no legal basis for their claims nor is there a way for them to ‘get back’ their vote,” he said. “Certification of all election results for the state is now in the hands of the Michigan Board of Electors.”
The four-member state board is expected to meet Monday and is also split between two Democrats and two Republicans.
Carolyn Kaster / AP
Joe Biden won Wayne County by a significant margin.
Palmer and Hartmann initially voted against certification on Tuesday, leaving the Wayne County Board of Electors stuck at 2-2 on the party line. Palmer complained that certain Detroit precincts were unbalanced, meaning absentee ballot books did not match the number of votes cast.
The GOP move prompted an immediate reprimand from the public and injected partisan politics into the business of an unrecognized panel that is supposed to confirm the will of the voters. A person familiar with the matter said The Associated Press that Trump reached out to Palmer and Hartmann on Tuesday night after the revised vote to express his gratitude for their support.
Biden crushed Trump in Wayne County, a Democratic stronghold, by a margin of more than 2-1 on his way to winning Michigan by 146,000 votes, according to unofficial results. His victory reversed Trump’s 2016 gains in the industrial Midwest and put Biden on track to garner the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.
Carolyn Kaster / AP
US President Donald Trump still refuses to give in to Joe Biden.
The county tellers then voted again and certified the results, 4-0. Then on Wednesday, Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they believe the county vote “should not be certified.” They said in their statement Wednesday that they had reported threats against them to law enforcement.
There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Michigan or any other state. Federal and state officials from both parties have stated that the 2020 elections are safe and secure. But Trump and his allies have spent two weeks raising false accusations of fraud and refusing to give in to Biden.
