The two Republicans in Michigan who are on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers reportedly want to rescind their votes after they voted to certify the county’s election results late last night after initially voting to not certify the results, which led to a 2-2 deadlock.
“In affidavits signed on Wednesday evening, the two GOP members of the four-member Wayne County Board of Canvassers allege that they were improperly pressured into certifying the election and accused Democrats of reneging on a promise to audit votes in Detroit,” The Washington Post reported. “Jonathan Kinloch, a Democrat and the board’s vice chairman, told The Post that it’s too late for the pair to reverse course, as the certified results have already been sent to the secretary of state in accordance with state rules. He lashed out at the Republicans over their requests.”
USA Today reporter Donovan Slack tweeted out a screenshot of an affidavit from Monica Palmer, the Republican chair of the committee, stating that based on allegations that she made in the affidavit, she wanted to “rescind my prior vote to certify Wayne County elections.”
“Palmer disputed the promises she was told she received from one of her Democratic canvass board colleagues,” Mediaite reported. “She claims that, contrary to what she was told on Tuesday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has not pledged to conduct a audit of the county’s votes to clear up the minor clerical errors found.”
“The Wayne County election had serious flaws which deserve investigation,” she wrote. “I continue to ask for information to assist Wayne County voters that these elections were conducted fairly and accurately. Despite repeated requests, I have not received the requisite information and believed an additional 10 days of canvas by the State Board of Canvassers will help provide the information necessary.”
New from Michigan: Now Wayne County Republicans want to “rescind” their votes to certify election results… pic.twitter.com/2tgT70JuHo
— Donovan Slack (@DonovanSlack) November 19, 2020
The dispute centered around Republicans wanting a comprehensive audit of the election results in and around the Detroit area where they alleged that “the poll book, the official list of who voted, didn’t match the number of ballots received,” The Post added.
CBS News reporter Adam Brewster confirmed the news, writing that the affidavit was signed tonight at 9:33 p.m.
NEW: Monica Palmer, the GOP Chair of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, has signed an affidavit saying she wants to rescind her vote to certify the county's election results. It was signed at 9:33pm tonight. pic.twitter.com/1TG7nH0bd1
— Adam Brewster (@adam_brew) November 19, 2020
Fox News producer Sean Langille tweeted out a screenshot of the affidavit from the other canvasser, William C. Hartmann, which showed that Hartmann claimed that he was berated, faced ridicule, and was accused of being a racist after initially voting to not certify the election results.
“Late in the evening, I was enticed to agree to certify based on the promise that a full and independent audit would take place,” Hartmann said. “I would not have agreed to the certification but for the promise of an audit.”
MORE: Wayne County MI GOP canvasser rescinds vote to certify election, claims he was berated and faced ridicule by other board members and pushes back on claims of racism pic.twitter.com/zFASNeuSYm
— Sean Langille (@SeanLangille) November 19, 2020
JustTheNews was the first to report the story.
This report has been updated to include additional information.