Sen. Ed McBroom: Michigan Legislature Calls Special Session as election votes are called into question
Intro: 6,000 votes belonging to Republicans including President Trump had erroneously switched to Democrats due to faulty election procedure in Atrim County, a Democratic County clerk revealed in Michigan according to Detroit Free Press. A computer error created the glitches.
In Oakland County’s 15th County Commission Distric, another glitch temporarily called a loss for an incumbent Republican. County Commissioner Adam Kochenderfer narrowly lost the initial count. by a 104-vote margin to Democrat Melanie Hartman, amounting to a razor-thin majority of 50.08%. Later, after the glitch was discovered, Kochenderfer received 1,127 votes, which gave him a 51.67% share of the total (with 48.23% going to his opponent, Hartman), according to the Detroit Free Press Account.
Why the glitches were only one sided, giving votes to Democrats belonging to Republicans, created a heated demand to Legislators to investigate. Apparently the same machines were used in many more districts, creating calls for more investigation.
Sen. Ed McBroom announced Friday that a joint hearing of the Senate and House of Representatives Oversight committees will meet Saturday as part of a legislative effort to ensure the integrity of our state elections. #MILeg # the Michigan GOP Senate tweeted.
The Senate Oversight Committee, which I chair, will be investigating legitimate allegations of impropriety that may have occurred with our election process here in Michigan. The first step in this inquiry is a committee hearing tomorrow where we will be voting to subpoena numerous officials and relevant documents. You can watch that hearing on the Michigan Senate website. If you have first hand knowledge or evidence, or know someone who does, we will have an email set up to bring that or him/her to the committee’s attention. In the meantime, please be cautious in sharing unverified and/or debunked claims from either side of the aisle. Doing so only muddies the water and makes our search for the truth more difficult.
Many of you have asked me to weigh in on the current election turmoil. I’ve been getting it from both sides who are fervent for the victory of their candidate. I guess I haven’t been inclined because my fervent desire is for a fair and honest result. One candidate seems to be willing to pour gas on every potential fear and doubt about the integrity of the system while the other seems uninterested in some very troubling reports and witness testimony.
Neither of these responses is right and both cause harm although any inciting to unrest or violence is absolutely detestable. Leaders will call for calm and patience from the press and public and fairness and openness from officials. We need to let the system we have work through these problems.
It will take time and involve lawyers and arguments: that’s ok and has worked before in contested elections. I know we can all cite times the system has failed, but, while taking note and fighting for reforms, we must not cause each other to lose all faith in it. That would be akin to burning down the fire hall and our own home at the same time. Destroying our foundations and trust is exceptionally dangerous.