The election results were made official in Michigan on Monday, as Michigan's Electoral College delegates unanimously cast their 16 votes for President-elect Joe Biden, and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.
The vote was announced by Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, who presided over a scaled-back, socially distanced Electoral College ceremony inside the Michigan Senate.
By law in Michigan, electors must choose the candidate who won the popular vote.
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Speaking ahead of the vote, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, "It was a safe, fair and secure election. It was the kind of election our founding fathers envisioned when they created this democracy and built this country."
“The people have spoken," she added. "...It's time to move forward as one United States of America."
The Capitol was closed to the public because of coronavirus restrictions on Monday, and lawmakers closed their offices because of threats of violence.
Electors and some top Democrats were escorted into the statehouse by state police, the Associated Press reported.
Citing yet-unproven allegations of widespread fraud, President Donald Trump and his allies had urged the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate Biden’s 154,000 vote, or 2.8 percentage point, victory and pushed the Republican-led Legislature to choose electors. But the legally suspect, long-shot bid was rejected by the court and by Republican legislative leaders who pointed to state law in saying that the electoral votes go to the popular vote winner.
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Other lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign and supporters in Michigan -- including seeking to halt the counting of absentee ballots and prevent certification of votes -- were tossed out of court.
State officials have said repeatedly that Michigan's election, which was certified last month, was conducted smoothly, with transparency and without evidence of fraud.
Biden resoundingly won Michigan by 14 times Donald Trump's margin in 2016 — reclaiming the battleground state for Democrats on his way to winning the White House.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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