Wisconsin inches closer to certifying Biden win

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s election managers are one step away from formally declaring Joe Biden as the state’s winner.

Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chairwoman of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, on Monday made “determination of the recount and the presidential contest.” That is not quite the same as certifying the state’s vote. That will happen sometime on Tuesday.

“No certificates of election … will be issued today,” Jacobs said during a brief meeting Monday. “Those certificates will be issued as part of the Elections Commission tomorrow.”

In fact Monday’s action does not end anything with regard to the November election in Wisconsin.

“The law requires that the Chair determine the result, or the numbers, of the recount and the contest based on the certified result statements submitted by each of the 72 counties. This determination is what can be appealed. If there is not a determination, then parties to a recount do not have anything to appeal,” the Elections Commission said in a statement.

President Trump’s campaign now has five days to file a lawsuit challenging the results.

Joe Biden’s campaign already declared victory in Wisconsin.

Biden’s campaign on Sunday said the recount showed that little changed in Biden’s presumed 20,000-plus vote lead.

“The recount only served to reaffirm Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin,” the campaign said in a statement. “And despite repeated incendiary accusations, there was no evidence of fraud whatsoever. The facts are clear: After ballots were counted and counted again, Joe Biden decisively won Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes.”

President Trump tweeted over the weekend that the recount was not meant to find new votes, but to find people who voted illegally.

The president said he would make his case for voter fraud in Wisconsin by the end of the day Tuesday.

Republican members of the Elections Commission have said they will not vote to certify the election results until President Trump has had his day in court.

Once the Wisconsin Elections Commission certifies the vote, Gov. Tony Evers will then sign-off on the results. Wisconsin’s electors are set to meet in two weeks, on Dec. 14, to cast their votes and choose the state’s winner.