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Ted Cruz objects to certification of Arizona's electoral votes, initiating effort to challenge Joe Biden's victory

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U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during a hearing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. in December of 2020. Credit: Pool/ABACA via Reuters Connect

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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday objected to the counting of Arizona's electoral votes, starting a process of challenging President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the Electoral College.

Cruz stood during a joint session of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate to register his objection alongside U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Arizona. Gosar spoke first, saying he objected to the counting of the votes. Vice President Mike Pence then asked whether the objection was in writing and signed by a senator and Cruz answered, "It is."

The basis of the objection was on the grounds that the votes “were not under all of the known circumstances, regularly given.” Neither Cruz nor Gosar elaborated on their decision. The two chambers of Congress then recessed to their respective chambers to discuss the objection.

The proceeding Cruz engaged in is ceremonial and his objection is doomed to fail in both the House and the Senate. Democrats control the U.S. House, and a coalition of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate is expected to knock down his objections in that chamber as well. The state's other senator, John Cornyn, announced he would not join this effort, but a number of Texas House Republicans announced in recent days they would object.

The basis of these objections are allegations of widespread voter fraud in contested states. There is no credible evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. President Donald Trump and many of his supporters have alleged that the election was stolen from him. Lawsuits seeking to overturn the results have failed repeatedly in the courts.

This developing story will update soon.


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