Michigan Republican pledges to certify election after facing lawsuit – Washington Examiner
In Michigan, a Republican canvasser named Robert Froman has committed to certifying the state’s election results after facing a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan. Froman had previously expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 election and indicated he would refuse to certify the upcoming election results if they mirrored those of 2020. However, he has since signed a sworn affidavit agreeing to certify the 2024 election results based solely on the ballots returned, stating that he will not refuse to certify based on external information. Following this agreement, the ACLU dropped the lawsuit. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson emphasized the legal obligation of county boards of canvassers to confirm the clerks’ canvassing of votes, allowing for audits and recounts thereafter.
Michigan Republican pledges to certify election after facing lawsuit
A canvasser in Michigan has vowed to certify the election results in the state, whatever they may be, after he faced a lawsuit for previously stating he would not certify the results.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a lawsuit against Kalamazoo County Board of Canvassers member Robert Froman after a Detroit News article quoted him saying he believed the 2020 election was “most definitely” stolen and that he would not certify the general presidential results this year if the election mimics the 2020 election.
In a sworn affidavit signed Monday, Froman agreed to certify the results of the 2024 election based solely on ballots returned. Froman signed that he “may not, and will not, refuse to certify results of the election based on any information extrinsic to the statement of returns.”
Froman cited concerns with the 2020 election in his reasoning, despite many independent reports finding no widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election. This includes a review by Republican lawmakers in the Michigan state Senate who reaffirmed that President Joe Biden beat former President Donald Trump in the state. In Kalamazoo County, Biden won the election by nearly 20 percentage points.
The ACLU of Michigan said it is dropping the lawsuit after his agreement.
“Michigan law clearly states that county boards of canvassers have a ministerial duty to sign off on clerks’ canvassing of votes and procedures. Then opportunities for audits and recounts follow,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a Tuesday X post.
Phil Mayor, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan, said the lawsuit proves that pro-democracy groups, such as his own, will act in the face of similar threats, according to the Michigan Advance. The ACLU noted that the Michigan Constitution requires the election to be certified within 14 days of the election based solely on the total number of votes reported from each location and that the law does not allow them to withhold certification.
“Having faith that elections are fair and the results properly certified is crucial to a well-functioning democracy,” Mayor said.
“The successful conclusion of this lawsuit should bolster confidence that Michigan’s official election results will accurately reflect the will of voters and that anyone who tries to convert canvassing boards into a platform for partisan gamesmanship will be subject to quick and decisive legal action,” he continued.
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