Michigan leaders and organizations reacted Monday afternoon to the State Board of Canvassers voting to certify the results of the Nov. 3 general election.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer commended the vote.
“I commend the three members of the State Board of Canvassers who voted to follow the law and certify the 2020 election results today," Whitmer said. "The people of Michigan have spoken. President-elect Biden won the State of Michigan by more than 154,000 votes, and he will be our next president on January 20th. I also want to thank Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the local clerks across Michigan who made sure this year's election was free, fair and secure, and the voters who turned out in record numbers to make their voices heard. Now, it’s time to put this election behind us and come together as a state to defeat our common enemy: COVID-19.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel agreed.
“I commend the members of the Board of State Canvassers for today’s vote to certify our election results," Nessel said. "A record number of citizens turned out to vote in an election that was fair, secure and transparent. It is now the responsibility of every official and leader in this country to ensure that the will of the voters is heard. The Board’s actions today did exactly that in Michigan and I appreciate and respect their courage under these historic circumstances.”
The Michigan Democratic Party said it was glad to see the Board "stand up to Donald Trump's intimidation and harassment."
“We are glad to see the Board of Canvassers stand up to Donald Trump’s intimidation and harassment and carry out their constitutional duties to certify the election results," the party said in a statement. "Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by 154,187 votes in our state after over 2.8 million Michiganders stood up and supported the President-Elect. We’re proud to send 16 electors to the electoral college on December 14 to vote for the next president, Joe Biden."
Michigan Freedom Fund Executive Director Tony Daunt said the Board did the right thing.
“The Board of State Canvassers did the right thing today," Daunt said. "We believe the vote to certify should have been 4-0. The election is over, and the person with the most legal votes – and in this election that person is Joe Biden – must prevail. Period.
“It is now incumbent on Secretary of State Benson to transparently investigate every accusation of fraud, human error and irregularity," he continued. "The president failed to present evidence they existed in anywhere close to sufficient number to change the results of the election, but serious allegations and sworn affidavits – on any scale – require a thorough and transparent investigation so any fraud or mistakes never occur again.”
Michigan Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield said the board fulfilled its legal duty and the democratic process can move forward.
“I am also glad the conspiracy theories pushed by far too many Democrats and some talking heads in the media for attention and personal or political gain have finally been put to rest," Chatfield said. "As we have been saying consistently for weeks, the Legislature will uphold the law and respect this result as it works to improve the process for next time. That includes continuing our work in the House and Senate Oversight committees getting answers for the many people across our state who are concerned about the integrity of the process and giving them the peace of mind they deserve. That too is America at work.”
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says "democracy has prevailed."
Democracy has prevailed.
Today’s vote of the State Board of Canvassers’ to certify Michigan’s November election confirms the truth: the election was fair and secure, and the results accurately reflect the will of the voters. (1/4)
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) November 23, 2020
