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Election results certified in Ingham County, plaintiffs dismiss invalidation lawsuit

November 16, 2020
<p>Volunteers at Precinct 5, located in Shaarey Zedek Congregation, wait for the crowds on Election Day. Shot on Nov. 3, 2020.</p>

Volunteers at Precinct 5, located in Shaarey Zedek Congregation, wait for the crowds on Election Day. Shot on Nov. 3, 2020.

Photo by Lauren DeMay | The State News

The general election results of Nov. 3 have been certified in Ingham County, according to a statement released Monday by the County Clerk Barb Byrum.

The certification occurred amongst the Ingham County Board of Canvassers, which is comprised of two Democrats, two Republicans and their appointed assistants. Their job was to check the work of local election officials, inspectors and clerks to ensure that for every voter that cast a ballot, only one was tallied, and for every ballot cast, there was a voter tied on.

"The work of the Board of Canvassers is one of the many safeguards that are in place to ensure the safety, security and accuracy of each Election in Michigan," Byrum said.

In addition to their after-election work, the county and local clerks do internal preliminary testing of each election programming system.

Similarly, the local election commissions of the various jurisdictions perform public accuracy testing so that the public may confirm that the ballots are read by the tabulators accurately.

Byrum said in the release that there is certainly a possibility that recounts will be filed, as permitted under law, though she is ready to assist and conduct any if they become necessary. In addition, random audits will be performed within the next two months to verify the results.

"I want to extend my gratitude to the Ingham County Board of Canvassers for their diligent work in canvassing the election and certifying the results as ‘official'," Byrum said. "I also have tremendous appreciation for the election workers, local clerks, their staff, and my amazing staff for the extremely hard work that they have done to ensure that the Election ran smoothly."

According to a release by Attorney General Dana Nessel, the plaintiffs in Bally, et al. v. Whitmer, et al. – which sought to invalidate election results in Wayne, Ingham and Washtenaw counties based on allegations of voting irregularities and fraud – have voluntarily dismissed their complaint.

“This case was clearly designed to spread misinformation about the security and integrity of Michigan elections,” Nessel said. “Our elections have been conducted fairly and transparently and the results reflect the will of Michigan’s voters. Any claims to the contrary are wholly without merit.”

The plaintiffs filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan today, providing notice of the voluntary dismissal before the filing of an answer or motion for summary judgment. The case had recently been assigned to Judge Janet Neff.

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