Michigan presidential election is over. Canvassing, certification are next
- President-elect Donald Trump won Michigan to secure the state’s 15 Electoral College votes
- County canvassing is next, with bipartisan board members expected to review and approve results by Nov. 19, triggering a state canvas
- Should there be no delay, Michigan electors will cast votes for Trump on Dec. 17, and he will be sworn in Jan. 20
LANSING — President-elect Donald Trump won Michigan’s 15 Electoral Votes, according to unofficial results finalized Wednesday, beginning the next chapters in state election processes: canvassing and certification.
While there were still some races outstanding as of Wednesday afternoon, the bulk of Michigan ballots had been counted. The tallies showed Republicans flipped a US House seat and the Michigan House, while Democratic nominees grew their majority on the state Supreme Court.
But just because Election Day is over doesn’t mean the work’s done. Here’s what’s next.
County canvassing boards meet
County canvassing boards must meet by or before 9 a.m. on Thursday.
State law requires county boards to “proceed without delay” in canvassing local election results. This can take some time, but no longer than 14 days after the election — meaning it must be completed by Nov. 19 this year.
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Within 24 hours of completing a county canvass, clerks must send a certified, copied statement of all nonlocal race results to the Board of State Canvassers.
They must also send along a certificate of authenticity, signed by both the clerk and the county canvassers chair, to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
On to state canvassers
The role of all 83 county canvassing boards now concluded, race results then go before the Board of State Canvassers.
That four-member board — comprising two Democrats and two Republicans — will need to meet, canvass and certify results no later than Nov. 25.
State canvassers must then “immediately” craft a certified certificate which is sent to the secretary of state, solidifying Michigan’s election results.
Michigan electors
With this being a presidential election, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is tasked with an additional step in the process: Issuing a “certificate of ascertainment.”
That certificate is an official document which identifies Michigan’s appointed electors for president and vice president, as well as the final vote count for each candidate in the state’s popular vote.
Presidential electors, as nominated by the Michigan Republican Party in this case, must then meet in the state Senate by Dec. 17 in order to officially cast their votes for Trump.
Congress and Kamala Harris
Next, Michigan’s certificate of ascertainment must reach the President of the US Senate and the Archivist no later than Dec. 25.
Congress will convene Jan. 6 to officially count the electoral votes, a process that will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump.
Absent any congressional objections, Harris will then be expected to formally declare Trump the winner. He'll take office with inauguration on Jan. 20.
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