5 Stories to Watch Next Week | November 21, 2020

5 Stories to Watch Next Week Certification Deadline Looms in Pennsylvania In Pennsylvania, the state’s deadline to certify elections is Monday. The Trump campaign has filed multiple lawsuits, one in a federal court in Williamsport and one in Bucks County, seeking to block the certification of the vote tallies. Jenna Ellis, senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign, stated that the campaign was considering appeals and other issues to litigate before the Monday deadline. Democratic Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro claimed that the state saw a “smooth and safe” election and that the election will reflect what Pennsylvanians voted for when it’s certified. Watch next week to see if the Trump campaign is successful with its legal challenges or if the Pennsylvania secretary of state certifies the election as a win for Joe Biden. Also look to find out if the Republican state legislature in Pennsylvania demands some measures to ensure ballot integrity before the results are certified. Michigan Certification Uncertain as Republicans Point to Irregularities Late on Wednesday, two Republican Wayne County canvassers, Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, filed affidavits attempting to reverse their votes to certify the election results in Wayne County, Michigan. The canvassers cited harassment and the absence of a solid commitment from the secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, to audit the election results as the reason for their attempted reversal. While rescinding certification votes is a contested legal question, their affidavits have had an impact on the Republican Senate president pro tempore in Michigan, who has called for an independent audit of the results. Watch next week to see if the state board of canvassers in Michigan delays certification in order to force an audit. Also look to see if Republican state legislators demand an audit as a condition for certifying electors in the state. Wisconsin Recount Proceeds as Manual Changes Rejected After a bitter meeting on Wednesday, the Wisconsin Elections Commission ordered a recount requested by the Trump campaign in two largely Democratic counties, Milwaukee and Dane. After the Trump campaign put up the $3 million required to initiate the recounts in these counties, the Wisconsin Elections Commission held an emergency meeting to change the contents of the state’s recount manual. The provision in question concerned whether absentee ballot applications must be approved as part of the recount. The commission members deadlocked 3-3 along partisan lines and the changes were not approved. Watch next week to find out if the recounts in Wisconsin lead to a substantial change in the vote tallies. Also, look out for further action from the Trump campaign during the recount on absentee ballots. Georgia Recount Winds Down as State Republicans Cry Foul After three Georgia counties — Fayette, Walton, and Floyd — reported previously uncounted votes, the majority of which were cast for President Trump, the Trump campaign requested a signature audit of all the absentee and mail-in ballots cast in the state. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has resisted such calls due to a consent decree he signed earlier this year that makes verifying signatures on absentee ballots nearly impossible. The Trump campaign has also suggested that it may file litigation in Georgia if the secretary of state does not comply with the verification requests. Watch next week for the results of the litigation filed by the Trump campaign. Also look to find out if the litigation affects the results of the election in Georgia. Brexit Negotiators Zero in on Deal Negotiators representing both the United Kingdom and the European Union signaled that an agreement on their mutual trade and security policy could be forthcoming next week. They indicated that a breakthrough could come as early as next week even though key stumbling blocks still remain to be ironed out. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that it was far from certain that a deal would be agreed to, given his unwillingness to compromise British sovereignty over its fisheries and other policy issues. The EU has stated that it is willing to continue deliberations into December if required but it does require three weeks to scrutinize any agreement within its committees before voting to approve it. Watch next week to find out if any breakthrough is achieved in the Brexit negotiations. Also look to gauge the impact it would have on the geopolitical standings of both the UK and the EU. Newt's Latest Podcasts: Order Newt's Latest Book: https://www.gingrich360.com/trump-and-the-american-future

INNER CIRCLE MEMBER CONTENT