Michigan’s 16 electors have been assured that they will receive a police escort from their cars to the state’s Capitol on Monday when they cast their votes in the Electoral College for President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Stop the Steal, a group that believes, against overwhelming evidence, that the election was rife with fraud and stolen from President Trump, has posted on social media that they will protest the Electoral College vote from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the State Capitol in Lansing. It is the latest example of the influence Mr. Trump’s messages, even in his last days in office, have within his base.
And because Michigan is an open-carry state, demonstrations at the Capitol often include armed protesters both inside the building and on the grounds outside, although the Capitol building will be closed to the public on Monday.
“I’ve been rallying at the Capitol for many years and the only time I felt uncomfortable is when there were people milling around with guns,” said Bobbie Walton, 84, a lifelong political activist from Davison and first-time elector. “It’s terrible when those things are used to intimidate people. I might have to wear one of my favorite T-shirts: ‘Don’t push, I’m old.’”
County, state and federal judges in Michigan have dismissed efforts to overturn Mr. Biden’s victory in the state, calling allegations of voting fraud baseless and witness claims of nefarious activities at the TCF Center in Detroit, where absentee ballots were tallied, not credible. Michigan’s 83 counties and the state Board of Canvassers have certified the results of the election, which found Mr. Biden won by more than 154,000 votes.
Mark E. Miller, the clerk for the Kalamazoo Township, is looking forward to Monday despite the prospects for chaos at the Capitol.
“We will be doing our duty,” he said. “And while you’ve had armed people coming into the Capitol, there is no law against it, but that is strange to a lot of us.
“I’m trusting that the situation will be under control, so I’m not really worried,” he added. “But perhaps I’m being naïve.”
The Michigan State Capitol Commission, which runs the building made the initial decision to close the building for the Monday vote, said member John Truscott. The state Democratic Party, which is in charge of running the Electoral College vote, agreed with the move.
“Given the number of people who have been testing positive for Covid, we’re trying to keep everybody safe,” Mr. Truscott said. At least eight lawmakers and several dozen legislative staffers have tested positive for coronavirus.
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