The Republican National Committee and Michigan's GOP are asking the Board of State Canvassers to delay certification of Michigan's election results, saying an investigation of "anomalies and irregularities" occurring in the state's Nov. 3 election is necessary.
In their request, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman say a "full, transparent audit" is needed before the votes can be certified, pointing to states like Georgia that have taken "discretionary steps" to determine the results, reports The Detroit News.
The state and national request come after GOP Senate candidate John James asked for a two-week delay. James came in behind incumbent Democrat Sen. Gary Peters by more than 92,000 votes in unofficial results but has not conceded the election.
In their written request, McDaniel and Cox said it would be a "grievous dereliction of the board's duty" to voters in Michigan if they didn't make sure the "irregularities" outlined by the James campaign were not investigated thoroughly in a full audit before the results from Wayne County, where Detroit is located, are audited.
On Friday, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said an audit could not be before the certification of the results, as election officials didn't have legal access to the documents they needed.
Cox and McDaniel, though, said it's still possible to investigate some claims that are being made about Wayne County's poll books while they comply with the Dec. 8 deadline for certification.
But, they warned that to ignore the irregularities would "foster feelings of distrust among Michigan’s electorate."
State canvasser Norm Shinkle, a Republican, said Friday he's considering moving for the audit or delaying the state's final certification, but he couldn't make that decision without the state Michigan Bureau of Elections report on the certifications.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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