Pence Asks Judge to Reject Push to Expand His Powers to Decide Electoral College Votes

Vice President Mike Pence attends a rally in support of Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) in Savannah, Georgia, on Dec. 4, 2020. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Vice President Mike Pence asked a federal judge on Thursday to reject an effort to give him “exclusive authority” to decide which Electoral College votes should be counted during the upcoming joint session of Congress.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and other Republicans last week filed a lawsuit against Pence, requesting that the court grant Pence power to decide which votes to count on Jan. 6, 2021, when lawmakers will gather to observe the formal certification of states’ electoral votes for the president of the United States.