A local election official for Wayne County, Michigan, who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election has died due to COVID-19, the The Independent reports.
William Hartmann, a member of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, died this week at the age of 63, a spokesperson for the Michigan Republican Party told the news channel WDIV Local 4. Hartmann and another Republican member of the canvass board entered the national news after they voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election that was won by President Joe Biden, though Hartmann and the other GOP member reversed course later the same night.
Hartmann said at the time that he changed his mind after being assured that a statewide audit of the election would take place.
Michigan’s office of the Secretary of State conducted a statewide audit of the 2020 election, finding some minor errors among the absentee ballots, none of which had a meaningful effect on the results of any race, either state, local or national.
“Over the last several months, the state Bureau of Elections has worked with local clerks to conduct more audits than ever before in our state’s history, and each has reaffirmed the accuracy, security and integrity of the November 2020 election,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in March, according to the Independent.
“We’ve responded to every question and claim and the evidence is clear. It is time for leaders across the political spectrum to tell their constituents the truth, that our election was the most secure in history, and the results accurately reflect the will of Michigan’s voters,” she added.
