Palazzo ‘cannot vote to certify’ results of 2020 presidential election

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLOX) - Congress began its latest session on Sunday, and one of the most anticipated items on the agenda is to count the Electoral College votes and certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

However, a growing number of Republican lawmakers are joining President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the election, and that includes one of Mississippi’s own legislators.

“I cannot vote to certify the results of an election in certain states that millions of Americans and I do not wholeheartedly trust,” said Congressman Steven Palazzo in a statement to WLOX News. “States cannot bypass their legislature to alter election processes, nor can they violate the laws already in place to safeguard the election. It’s unacceptable to have ballots accepted after statute allows, those ballots should be deemed fraudulent or void.

“I stand with millions of Americans who do not approve or accept the submission made by the electoral college until a complete and thorough investigation of all evidence has been conducted.

“I cannot idly stand by and watch Mississippi be disenfranchised while other states knowingly violated their Constitution and side-stepped their legislatures in the 2020 election. I am committed to ensuring that all Americans are confident and trust the outcome of our election, it’s the bedrock of our democracy.”

The vote is expected to take place Jan. 6.

Copyright 2021 WLOX. All rights reserved.