Wayne County Circuit Judge Timothy Kenny denied Friday a request to stop the canvassing and certification of Wayne County’s election results, noting that Detroit officials “offered a more accurate and persuasive explanation of activity” within the TCF Center last week.
Judge Kenny also rejected challenges from poll watchers for an independent audit of the county’s results, saying state law governs the audit process.
The judge cast doubts on the affidavits of GOP poll challengers who were present during the absentee ballot counting process.
“No formal challenges were filed. However, sinister, fraudulent motives were ascribed to the process and the city of Detroit,” Kenny wrote in a Friday opinion. “Plaintiff’s interpretation of events is incorrect and not credible.”
Poll challengers requested an independent audit of the Wayne County results before Tuesday’s scheduled certification, expecting to halt the certification, voiding the county’s results, and getting a new election in Wayne County.
The lawsuit targeted restrictions on poll challengers, late arriving absentee ballots and clerk’s office workers who encouraged early voters to cast their ballots for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and Democrats.
The City of Detroit denied each allegation and suggested plaintiffs lack of understanding of absent voter ballot processing and tabulating.
Kenny said stopping the canvassing and certification process would be “judicial activism” that infringed on a process created and approved by the Legislature.
“It would cause delay in establishing the presidential vote tabulation, as well as all other county and state races,” the judge wrote. “It would also undermine faith in the electoral system.”
Wayne County is expected to certify the results on Tuesday, followed by the state’s certification vote on November 23.
See more at the Detroit News.