US Election: Republican Senator to challenge certification of Biden Win

 

Josh Hawley, a Republican says he will be the first senator to object when Congress certifies US President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory next week.

Missouri’s Hawley said he had election integrity concerns, despite a lack of evidence for widespread fraud alleged by most GOP members.

A group of Republicans in the lower chamber of Congress, the House of Representatives, is also planning to contest the election results.

But the objections are not expected to change the outcome.

The US Electoral College – which confirms November’s presidential election result by awarding points for each state won by the two White House rivals – earlier this month cemented Mr Biden’s victory over Donald Trump by 306-232.

These votes must be affirmed by Congress on 6 January. Inauguration Day, when the new Democratic president and vice-president are sworn in, will be on 20 January.

Since losing the election, Mr Trump has repeatedly alleged systemic voting fraud without substantiation. The Republican president’s legal efforts to overturn results have been rejected by the courts.

Mr Hawley said he could not vote to certify the electoral results “without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws”.

“At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act.”