FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rachel Barnhart: PR Director
rbarnhart@represent.us / (413) 333-5656
GOP MICHIGAN STATE CANVASSING BOARD MEMBER PLANS TO REQUEST VOTE AUDIT DESPITE LACK OF EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD
President Trump called Wayne County election officials to influence vote
Move appears to be part of coordinated, multi-state effort
Michigan scheduled to certify election November 23
November 19, 2020 (Florence, Massachusetts) - President Trump and GOP operatives are moving to block certifications of ballots in Michigan in an apparent effort to run out the clock, and enable the state legislature to send alternate electors. There are rumblings of similar efforts in other states such as Arizona and Wisconsin.
Nonpartisan anti-corruption campaign RepresentUs decried the effort, as President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani stated on television that it is designed to enable state legislatures to submit alternate slates of electors and bypass the democratic process.
In Michigan on Tuesday, the two Republicans on the Wayne County board of canvassers shockingly attempted to refuse to certify the results. Massive and immediate uproar in response to their unprecedented action caused them to reverse their votes hours later. Then, President Trump himself called these Republicans directly, and on Wednesday they moved to rescind their vote.
“We are witnessing something unprecedented in U.S. history. The U.S. President and his sycophants in the GOP are attempting to steal an election in plain sight,” said Josh Silver, CEO of RepresentUs. “Multiple U.S. government agencies have confirmed that there is no widespread election fraud. Nearly all of the President’s lawsuits have been thrown out or withdrawn. This is the last desperate act of a President who knows no bounds in his single-minded pursuit of power. It’s unprecedented and poses a clear and present threat to American democracy. Authoritarianism is attacking our nation from within.”
All 83 counties in Michigan have certified the election, but several Republicans in the Michigan State Legislature are calling for an audit due to baseless claims of fraud. These tactics could put the November 23 statewide certification of the election by the Board of Canvassers in jeopardy.
RepresentUs is mobilizing members across the country to contact their state officials and demand they certify the election results.
“This is a coordinated attempt to subvert our democracy, and we will likely see more authoritarian moves like this in the coming days,” said Silver. “A strong message must be sent to the President and his henchmen: stop what you’re doing.”
Tens of thousands of RepresentUs members have already contacted state lawmakers and elections officials urging them to count the votes and determine the election outcome based on the vote count. Through its VoteSafe and Count Every Hero coalitions, RepresentUs has been pushing public awareness about the need for safe and secure elections, misinformation about voter fraud, and the importance of counting every vote.
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RepresentUs is the nation’s largest grassroots anti-corruption campaign, bringing together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass anti-corruption laws in cities and states to stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections.