Due to safety concerns, the Michigan state legislature’s office buildings will be closed as the state’s 16 electors cast their Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden in the Capitol on Monday.
Lawmakers and staff will be working from home instead, according to spokespeople for state leadership.
“The Senate has closed its own workspaces tomorrow based upon recommendations from law enforcement,” Amber McCann, a spokesperson for state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R), said in a statement on Sunday. “The decision was not made because of anticipated protests, but was made based on credible threats of violence.”
Shirkey later issued a statement saying that the electors “should be able to proceed with their duty, free from threats of violence and intimidation.”
“President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris won Michigan’s presidential election,” he said. “It’s our responsibility as leaders to follow the law and move forward in pursuit of policies that contribute to the betterment of Michigan.”
Gideon D’Assandro, a spokesperson for House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R), confirmed that the House of Representatives would also be closed for the day, telling MLive.com that lawmakers would be back on site on Tuesday.
The move comes as state officials face threats of violence spurred by President Donald Trump’s false conspiracy theories about voter fraud in battleground states, including Michigan, after he lost the election.
A little over a week ago, right-wing protesters surrounded Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home at night and shouted threats while her family was inside.
