Watching the Michigan Bureau of Elections Board meeting on CSPAN. They're about to vote on certification. https://www.c-span.org/video/?478327-1/michigan-bureau-elections-meets-certify-election-results&live

God bless this one grey haired bureaucrat, Christopher Thomas, just absolutely sticking it in the nicest possible impatient dad way to the one dude, Norman Shinkle, who wants to refrain from certifying Michigan's votes today.

The guy speaking now, Daniel Baxter, is the director of elections for Detroit. He's talking about all the measures Detroit took this year (extra training, extra pay, extra shifts for election workers) to ensure the vote was accurate.

"So many people engaged in the voting process for the first time in the city of Detroit....it was a day of great pride, not only for those poll workers but the city of Detroit at large."

Jeff Timer now, a former member of the Michigan board, arguing the board has zero discretion to do anything but certify the vote for Biden/Harris today. "Do your mandatory duty. Certify Michigan's election results."

(Everyone from the Midwest watching this understands that all these seemingly mild mannered gentlemen addressing the board today are actually incredibly pissed off.)

Livonia City Clerk Susan Nash addressing the board now, expressing a strong desire for the board to certify Michigan's results today.

Michelle Anzaldi, a clerk from Pittsfield Township Michigan, addressing the board now, emphasizing that the board is required to certify the election results today.

Barb Byrum Clerk Ingham County Michigan - "Anything other than certification is an unlawful power grab."

Shinkle (the conspiracist) asking Byrum whether or not the board has the right to look into election results. Byrum emphasizes several times his duty to certify.

Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope speaking now describing the state's audit process, emphasizing that in Michigan, audits have to happen *after* certification.

They're taking a quick recess. I'll continue live Tweeting the meeting once they pick it back up. Only way I can deal with my stress around this vote today!

And they're back! I will say that it seems like Aaron Van Langevelde, one of the two Republicans on the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, does seem inclined to certify today, just based on the general tone of his comments. Fingers crossed.

Laura Cox, Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, is now urging the board to refrain from certifying. Says election workers were treated with "hostility and intimidation."

Charles Spies is now addressing the board. He represents the Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James, who lost a tight race to incumbent Senator Gary Peters (D). He's arguing for a 40 day delay, insisting there's a "bipartisan cry" for an audit from Wayne County.

So, so far, the only two commenters arguing the board shouldn't certify work for political parties/candidates, not cities or the state of Michigan.

Aaron Van Langevelde, Republican, once again emphasizing the board's duty to certify today. Conspiracist Charlies Spies counters by saying the rules don't explicitly prevent the board from an audit/delay.

Charles Spies is just fully out there saying the board has the power to determine "the results of the election" as if they haven't already been determined by the county boards. Van Langevelde says no, we have no authority to do what you're suggesting, Spies.

Janice Winfrey, Detroit City Clerk now. (Thank goodness the public servants are back.) She's emphasizing that her office is nonpartisan and that its duties revolve around ensuring voters know how and where to vote. Emphasizing the professionalism w/ which poll workers performed.

Conpiracist Shinkle suggesting to Winfrey there was a conscious effort by her office to refrain from hiring Republican poll workers. Winfrey taking clear issue with this assertion and emphasizing that yes, there were absolutely were GOP poll workers.

And here's Monica Palmer (R) from Wayne County. She's the one on the Wayne County board who wanted to rescind certification after the fact. She's basically out there explaining that she doesn't understand the rules of her job.

Michigan attorney Mary Ellen Gurewitz, speaking on behalf of Michigan Democrats now, "and as a Detroiter." She's saying the state board is being asked to do what Michigan courts would not. Urges them to reject spurious claims of voter fraud just as Michigan courts did.

(They're into the public comment period now, so I'm holding off on play-by-play until the actual vote happens.)

(And now they're taking another recess.)