(WWJ) All 83 Michigan counties have voted to certify the results of the Nov. 3 General Election, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Next, the Board of State Canvassers is scheduled to meet Nov. 23 to issue final certification of the vote -- which would make Democratic challenger Joe Biden's decisive win over Republican President Donald Trump in the state official.
Benson says the Nov. 23 certification meeting will be open to the public, with more information to follow.
In the meantime, Benson urged Michiganders not to believe or pass on false information about the process.
"The American people have voted, and ethical, experienced, committed election workers from both sides of the aisle counted every valid vote," Benson said, in what she called "an extraordinarily well run election."
The announcement by Benson comes the morning after the Wayne County Board of Canvassers floundered a bit in the certification process -- first deadlocking in a 2-2- tie along party lines.
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But after three hours of contentious public comment, the board vote 4-0 to certify, with the caveat that the Secretary of State must conduct an audit of out-of-balance precincts.
Wayne County -- particularly the city of Detroit, which went heavily for Biden -- has been the subject of nationwide scrutiny during the vote counting process. The Trump campaign and other Republican groups have made unproven claims of voter fraud in Detroit, with several lawsuit tossed out of courts due to a lack of evidence.
Trump tweeted Tuesday: “Flip Michigan back to TRUMP," adding without citing evidence that Detroit “has tremendous problems with election results."
On Wednesday, Trump tweeted about Michigan again, claiming: "The Great State of Michigan, with votes being far greater than the number of people who voted, cannot certify the election. The Democrats cheated big time, and got caught. A Republican WIN!" The tweet was flagged by Twitter as "disputed."
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While there are lawsuits still pending, Benson said she is confident that as any inquiries proceed they will only reveal the truth: that Michigan’s 2020 presidential election was "smooth secure, transparent, and the results are an accurate reflection of the will of the people."
Meanwhile, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan continues to stress that nothing improper occurred during vote counting in the city. and that any claims otherwise are unfounded.
Following the Wayne County board's vote to certify Tuesday night, Duggan tweeted: "Glad to see common sense prevailed in the end. Thank you to all those citizens who spoke up so passionately -- you made the difference!"
At a news conference Wednesday, Duggan said Republican canvassers' initial refusal to certify in Wayne County had nothing to do with out-of-balance precincts or other actual problems with the election process -- and everything to do with eroding the public's confidence in the outcome.
Duggan said this isn't over, however, because if the Trump campaign tries the same thing again when the state board meets to certify, there's still "one more chance to cancel Democracy."
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