Michigan certifies Biden win despite Trump's GOP overtures

[George II]

Source: Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan election officials on Monday certified Democrat Joe Biden’s 154,000-vote victory in the state amid President Donald Trump’s brazen attempts to subvert the results of the election.

The Board of State Canvassers, which has two Republicans and two Democrats, confirmed the results on a 3-0 vote with one abstention. Allies of Trump and losing GOP Senate candidate John James had urged the panel to delay voting for two weeks to audit votes in heavily Democratic Wayne County, home to Detroit.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan election officials on Monday edged closer to certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the battleground state, taking hours of public comment against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s unprecedented campaign to subvert the results of the election.

Trump’s efforts to stave off the inevitable — formal recognition of his defeat — faced increasingly stiff resistance from the courts and fellow Republicans with just three weeks to go until the Electoral College meets to certify Biden’s victory. Time and again, Trump’s challenges and baseless allegations of widespread conspiracy and fraud have been met with rejection as states move forward with confirming their results.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/michigan-consider-certifying-joe-biden-4ee6fbfd69f9a2a4daf9be449c6fe31d

[sfstaxprep]

1. It Was Actually 3-0

The other one abstained.

[drray23]

2. he likely abstained to avoid prosecution.nt.

[mpcamb]

26. Chase him in court anyway! Use "he failed to express a valid reason for abstaining."

Time for a NO-MORE-MR-NICE-GUY posture.

Quit looking weak!
Kick back at 'em!

[Wednesdays]

32. You can say that again.

[DownriverDem]

44. He came across

as an old repub. The other repub was a young lawyer who asked the election specialist more than once if the election law gave them the authority to hold an audit. The answer was no and he did the right thing.

[padah513]

4. Yes!

That works too.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I did hear the "abstain" at the end

after all his jumping twisting and turning, although they have been voting on multiple motions so am not sure if that "abstain" was for the actual certification vote (vs something related to it) considering that during his remarks he said he would vote "no".

[George II]

11. He almost said it under his breath. I'm not an expert, but have run Commission meetings in town....

....for almost five years. There were several violations of Roberts Rules throughout the proceeding, including his failure to express a valid reason for abstaining (unless he said that under his breath, too)

I think the woman running the meeting did a pretty poor job.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. I think the issue here is

that this board is not normally under an international magnifying glass like this so although these meetings use Roberts Rules, they are probably more laid back in their procedures during "normal times".

But with the idiot in chief and the power grabs and sabotage, I actually give her credit for being as calm as she has been.

Some of the elections workers and watchers who have been giving remarks have been amazing and in some cases, pretty wild! I even heard them call out Bradblog (a blast from the past - just checked and his last login was back in April 2016) who was supposed to give a statement but he never responded, so they went onto the next person.

[NurseJackie]

22. He was a trainwreck. Was he ELECTED to that position, or appointed?

He appears to have (at most) an 11th grade education.

[maddogesq]

28. I too have served on boards.

Usually when there is a motion for vote that is seconded, there is only discussion amongst the board members. In this case, public testimony was done as part of that discussion period. Usually public testimony comes before a vote is called for.

Shinkle was obviously trying to grandstand, and the chairwoman wasn’t doing a great job in terms of rules of order.

[George II]

29. Yes. If the public was going to be permitted to comment, the meeting itself should have been....

....preceded by a Public Hearing.

Maybe those comments at their meetings is part of their bylaws, which can override Roberts Rules?

[maddogesq]

30. Didn't think of that. Good call...

I know that when I was on my city’s ZBA. we strictly followed Roberts Rules. I was on some club boards where sometimes rules got stretched, but on ZBA it was a tight ship Captain George.

[ananda]

8. Did Shinkle abstain to avoid legal repercussions?

???

[sfstaxprep]

9. Perhaps

It's irrelevant

[LudwigPastorius]

35. He abstained because he promised Trump he wouldn't vote to certify, in exchange..

for a trip to the Oval Office, a picture with the Melania-bot, and a coupon for a free dozen Dunkin' Donuts.


(Many people have said.)

[certainot]

36. saw shinkle gets out to the rw talk radio shows - probably some podcasts of those

friendly interviews

[True Blue American]

39. And Champagne

At the Trump Hotel. They had pictures of them.

[George II]

10. Yes, he grudgingly muttered that he abstained. Technically speaking, according to Roberts Rules....

....he couldn't abstain without a valid reason, which he didn't give.

[still_one]

3. That one republican is an ass

[George II]

12. I'll add "hole" to that.

[still_one]

17. +++

[sabra]

6. Bloomberg/AP Link

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-23/ap-newsalert-michigan-election-board-certifies-victory-for-biden-another-setback-in-trump-s-effort-to-overturn-election?utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-politics&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=politics

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Here's another link

Michigan board certifies Nov. 3 election results as one GOP canvasser dissents

Craig Mauger
Melissa Nann Burke
The Detroit News

Lansing — The Michigan board in charge of certifying election results cast a pivotal vote Monday to validate the state's tallies, cementing Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's victory despite unproven claims of fraud levied by Republican President Donald Trump

The Board of State Canvassers voted to certify the results after taking about three hours of public comment from election officials, lawmakers and residents.

Republican board member Aaron Van Langevelde crossed over to join the two Democratic board members in supporting certification. He said the board has a "duty" to certify Michigan election results based on county returns as the panel holds a pivotal meeting. Longtime GOP member Norm Shinkle voted to abstain and expressed concerns about out-of-balance counting boards in Wayne County.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/23/michigan-election-state-canvassers-certification/6390475002/

[George II]

16. Watching the opening statements, he was even more forceful about delaying than....

...Shinkle was. But then he mellowed as he asked questions of people testifying, and I was actually amazed with his closing statement. He almost sounded like a, cough cough, Democrat.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. Even that media's characterization of him "crossing over"

seems to belie how they NORMALLY rule on elections certification.

From what I have read previously and from statements from these officials today, the only time they might arrive at a non-unanimous vote is when they have votes on things to include on the ballot, or regarding some of the individual races, but never for a Presidential election.

[Ms. Toad]

45. It was clear from his own that he would cure to certify.

His only concern was to be respectful of the public's desire to speak. Every single one of his questions wad designed to make a clear record that the canvassers had no discretion.

The squabble at the beginning was purely a failure to understand Roberts rules of order, which require both a motion and a second BEFORE discussion. He didn't want to second because he thought it would cut off discussion.

[blogslut]

14. This is good, right?

No backsies, right?

[George II]

15. Well, now trump can call for a recount, but with a win of almost 150K votes, that's pointless.

[Karma13612]

20. Would tRump

Need to pay for the recount?

[SunSeeker]

18. K & R

[ucrdem]

19. And that's all she wrote!

[Sloumeau]

21. Woohoo! Goodbye Trump! :) nt

[jeffreyi]

23. Yay. Next.

[Roc2020]

25. the whole delay thing is now making the U.S

look like a banana republic and playing the judiciary for a joke. And I think even the GOP is now annoyed going to anger.

[question everything]

31. K & R

[paleotn]

33. Come on PA!

[LudwigPastorius]

34. Hey, Donald,...

I'm actually glad that you are contesting the election at every step, because it gives you a big loss followed by a bunch of additional little losses afterward.

Suck it, loser.

[wnylib]

37. Making such a fuss about recounts,

court cases, and attempts to stop certification only amplifies a loser image for Trump. Makes him look worse than if he had just conceded when the vote totals were in. Even if he had scowled throughout a concession speech, he still would have looked better than he does now as a sour grapes loser who, after losing the votes, went on to lose all of his vote challenges, too.

[sprinkleeninow]

38. still a bigly LOOZER...eom

[llmart]

40. No one has better losses than he does! No one!!!

He is such a piece of work. It's way too late in the game now, but that guy should have been going to counseling for many, many years to deal with whatever it is that make him so hate filled.

[Cha]

41. TY Michigan!!

[SunSeeker]

42. K & R

[Maxheader]

43. The Florida residence....

Is having a special room being made up. Just for stumpy.

Complete with new wardrobe.....