A report issued Wednesday by a Republican-led state Senate committee says last year’s election was valid and accurate, and that claims voting was rigged or hacked are simply wrong.It’s the culmination of an eight-months-long inquiry. State Senator Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) chairs the Senate Oversight Committee. He says the report provides clarity on how the election was managed and finality that the results are accurate.
“I believe that the outcome, the count at the end is accurately reflecting the ballots cast in Michigan,” McBroom told Michigan Public Radio.
The report also says people who pushed false claims should be held to account, and it calls on Attorney General Dana Nessel to launch an investigation.
But McBroom says the report also recommends some changes.
“It’s clear there are some genuine vulnerabilities to the system,” he said. “It’s clear there’s bad training or lack of uniform training and that led to a lot of confusion and problems that need to be dealt with.”
The report also calls for expanding ID requirements to vote.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer says that’s a non-starter with her.
“I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to fix something that ain’t broke,” she said Wednesday.
Whitmer says the report proves once again that people can trust the 2020 election results. She also says the fact that the report agrees the election was fair and accurate also shows Michigan’s election laws already work.
“It was free, fair, open. Votes got counted, and it was historic,” she said. “It’s something that should give us all great pride. I think it also shows there is not a need for changes in election law.”
The report’s release coincides with movement on Republican-sponsored House and Senate election bills.