The state and national GOP chairs are asking the Michigan Board of Canvassers to delay certification while an audit and investigation are conducted of the 2020 election.
In a Saturday letter to the board of canvassers, state GOP chair Laura Cox, and Ronna Romney McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, write:
"This board faces a stark choice: it can either ignore numerical anomalies and credible reports of procedural irregularities, leaving the distrust and sense of procedural disenfranchisement felt by many Michigan voters to fester for years; or it can adjourn for fourteen days to allow for a full audit and investigation into those anomalies and irregularities before certifying the results of the 2020 General Election, allowing all Michiganders to have confidence in the results.
"On behalf of the Republican National Committee (“RNC”) and Michigan Republican Party (“MRP”) , we encourage the Board to grant the request made by John James for Senate, Inc. (“James Campaign”) and adjourn for fourteen days to allow for a full, transparent audit of Wayne County’s 2020 General Election results."
They go on to say that the review could be done by the Dec. 7 certification deadline. The board is scheduled to meet Monday.
There's no evidence of wides fraud or any reason to believe a review would change the results in Michigan, where President-elect Joe Biden won by more than 150,000 votes. Sen. Gary Peters beat James by more than 92,000 votes.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has said an audit can't be completed prior to the certification of results because "election officials do not have legal access to the documents needed to complete audits until the certification."
Republican state canvasser Norm Shinkle told The Detroit News Friday he was considering moving for an audit and/or a delay of final certification, but couldn't make a decision until presented with the Bureau of Elections report on certifications from 83 counties.