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Reaction pours in after certification of Michigan vote

Posted at 6:51 PM, Nov 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-23 18:51:07-05

Reaction is pouring in over Michigan's certification of the 2020 General Election.

President Elect Joe Biden's campaign released the following statement:

We appreciate the state board’s recognition of the plain facts: President-elect Joe Biden resoundingly won the state of Michigan by more than 150,000 votes -- 14 times the margin of Donald Trump in 2016. We thank the State of Michigan for its support, and look forward to receiving its 16 electoral votes.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issues the following statement:

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.

A record breaking 5.5 million Michigan citizens cast ballots in this election, more than ever before in our state’s history. Their will is clear and unequivocal.

Now we turn to the important work of implementing a statewide risk limiting audit and local procedural audits to affirm the integrity of the process and identify opportunities for improvement. And we will continue working with lawmakers at the state and federal level to strengthen our elections even further in the months ahead.

Our democracy, like the election officials who administer it, is resilient. Today it and they survived an unprecedented attack on its integrity. There will no doubt be more similar attacks in the future, based in falsehoods and misinformation. But then, as now, we will be ready to respond as always with facts, data, and the truth.

The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following statement:

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. 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 House Speaker Lee Chatfield issued the following statement:

The Board fulfilled its legal duties today in certifying the results, and now our democratic process can move forward. This is America at work.

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. 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.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement;

I commend the three members of the State Board of Canvassers who voted to follow the law and certify the 2020 election results today. 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.

Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following statement:

I commend the members of the Board of State Canvassers for today’s vote to certify our election results. 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.