Ted Cruz leads GOP effort to refuse Electoral College certification, demands 'emergency audit' of results

Nearly a dozen Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), announced Saturday they will object to the Electoral College certification of Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory when Congress meets in a joint-session on Jan. 6.

"Voter fraud has posed a persistent challenge in our elections, although its breadth and scope are disputed. By any measure, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes," the Republicans explained in a statement.

The Republican lawmakers said Congress should establish an "Electoral Commission" to investigate alleged election fraud and conduct an "emergency audit" of the election results.

But until that happens, the Republicans, which include four Republican senators-elect, will object to the votes of electors from certain battleground states whose election results Republicans claim were tainted by election fraud.

In a joint statement released by Cruz, the Republicans explained:

Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commission's findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed. Accordingly, we intend to vote on Jan. 6 to reject the electors from disputed states as not "regularly given" and "awfully certified" (the statutory requisite), unless and until that emergency 10-day audit is completed.

The Republicans joining Cruz include:

• Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)
• Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)
• Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.)
• Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)
• Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)
• Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.)
• Sen.-elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
• Sen.-elect Roger Marshall (R-Kan.)
• Sen.-elect Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.)
• Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)

According to Fox News, the effort orchestrated by Cruz is separate from that being undertaken by Sen. Josh Hawley.

The Missouri Republican announced this week that he will object to the Electoral College vote certification next week on the grounds that Pennsylvania and other states did not follow their own election law.

What about the House?

Two House Republicans told CNN on Thursday that at least 140 House Republicans will object to certifying the Electoral College results.

Neither challenge is expected to change the ultimate outcome of the election.