Michigan judge rejects request for Wayne County audit

DETROIT — Wayne County Circuit Judge Timothy Kenny on Friday denied 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.

Kenny also rejected poll challengers’ request for an independent audit of the county’s results, citing that state law governs the audit process.

The judge cast doubt on the affidavits of several GOP poll challengers who were present during the absentee counting process, writing that they had not attended an Oct. 29 walk through of operations at TCF Center and “did not have a full understanding” of the 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, represented by the Great Lakes Justice Center, requested an independent audit of the Wayne County election results before the scheduled Tuesday completion of certification, a halt to the certification process, an order voiding the county’s results and a new election in Wayne County.

Wayne County’s bipartisan board of canvassers is expected to certify the city’s results on Tuesday, followed by a state certification vote on Nov. 23.

Election officials have said they allowed the maximum number of poll watchers for both Democrats and Republicans, only restricting access to any additional poll watchers because of COVID-19 concerns.