Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement on Tuesday that media outlets do not certify election outcomes, and signaled his support for processes to ensure the integrity of the elections in the United States.
“Election outcomes are certified by designated governmental bodies, not by media outlets,” he added. “Recounts are authorized by law when certain metrics are met, and nearly every election cycle we see recounts take place in at least some races. This is not uncommon. The election process then requires a final canvassing of votes in each state.”
Abbott added that resolving disputes over vote counts is not “unchartered territory,” noting the presidential contest asserted by Al Gore in 2000. The governor said that Americans should have confidence in the transparency of the elections and pushed for a quick resolution.
His statement comes as a number of media outlets declared Democratic nominee Joe Biden president-elect on Nov. 7 after they projected victories for him in Pennsylvania and Nevada, putting him over the 270 electoral vote threshold, although the vote counts have not been completed in these states. Vote counts also continue in Georgia and Arizona.
Georgia and Wisconsin will have recounts of the votes, where results initially yielded a Biden lead.
President Donald Trump has alleged voter fraud and said any declarations of victory are premature, with his campaign having launched legal challenges in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan. The president said on Tuesday that his campaign is making progress and said that he will ultimately be declared the winner of the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, Biden has since declared a win and that “nothing” will stop the transfer of power in the U.S. government.
“We’re going to be going, moving along, in a consistent manner, putting together our administration, the White House, and reviewing who we’re going to pick for the Cabinet positions, and nothing’s going to stop that,” he said on Tuesday in a speech in Delaware.
Biden’s main campaign website redirects to a statement that proclaims, “They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory.”
“The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today, successful today, and successful with the president who’s in office on January 20 a minute after noon will also be successful,” Pompeo told reporters.
