Trump supporters crowd polling station demanding election officials to stop counting ballots
They bypassed TCF Center police and got into the building, but not where workers were counting votes.
Supporters of the re-election of President Donald Trump gathered outside the TCF Center in downtown Detroit Wednesday, where ballot counting for that county was taking place.
Members of the group bypassed police at the convention center and were able to gain entry to the building, but not into the hall where votes were being tabulated.
The Trump supporters chanted, “Stop the count.”
Vice is reporting that two hours before the melee, the Republican Committee in Calhoun County urged its followers to travel to the convention center and “ensure that the outstanding ballots are being counted properly.”
Calhoun County is one hour and 48 minutes away from Detroit.
A call for “trained poll challengers” also went out as an emergency call from Macomb County, which is closer to the city.
Detroit journalist Kat Stafford reposted a video of the mob attempting to gain entry into the center, saying, “Note the racial dynamics here: Happening in Detroit — a 78% Black majority city.”
Read More: Chris Christie slams Trump for baseless election ‘fraud’ claims
The accusations of fraud came as mail-in ballots in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, were counted yesterday. The record-breaking number of ballots in the predominately-Black county and city were the deciding factor in turning Michigan blue.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been projected the winner of the state, although the vote won’t be certified until Nov. 13.
Read More: Trump ally Angela Stanton-King loses Georgia House race with less than 15% of the vote
Social media users declared a debt of gratitude to the city, which has taken its fair share of derision in the past.
Cultural commentator and author Toure wrote a tweet that read “THANK YOU DETROIT” 10 times.
Trump backers also showed up to interfere with vote-counting in Maricopa County, Arizona, where more than 150 supporters, many of whom were armed, gathered outside the election office. Some harassed ballot counters as the shifts changed.
Read More: Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters wins reelection, beats John James
Late Wednesday night, the Maricopa County Elections Department tweeted that they would continue the count and thanked the county’s sheriff’s department.
Since early in the presidential race, Trump had alleged the election would be rife with fraud, but there is no evidence of it. After discouraging mail-in voting for months, most mail-in ballots, which were counted after Election Day ended, have been leaning largely Democratic.
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