Michigan's elections board deadlocked today [THURSDAY] along party lines on certifying a petition. It seeks to repeal the state's 1945 emergency powers act.
That's the law Governor Gretchen Whitmer used to issue COVID-19 executive orders early in the pandemic.
The vote came despite a recommendation from Bureau of Elections staff to certify the petition.
Staff determined, from a sample, that Unlock Michigan had far exceeded the number of valid signatures required.
Democratic board vice-chair Julie Matuzak called for further investigation under oath.
"We are the gatekeepers of election integrity," said Matuzak. "And election integrity includes petitions."
A spokesman for Unlock Michigan says the group plans to immediately challenge the Board's decision in court.