Interview: Election expert discusses Georgia Senate runoffs, Electoral College vote certification

Pedro Rivera

MORNING AT 7.15 MEMBERTEMPERATURES.54 DEGREES WE'LL HAVE SOMETHE ELECTION IN GEORGIA ISOVER BUT ONE RACE HAS BEEN TOOCLOSE TO CALL THIS AS CONGRESSVOTES TO CERTIFY THE RESULTSOF THE 2020 PRESIDENTIALELECTION SO JOINING US IS MARYSCHOOL OF LAW, YOU'RE ANELECTION EXPERT ELECTIONPROFESSOR.

THANK YOU SO MUCHFOR JOINING US.

YOU'REWELCOME.

GOOD MORNING, GOODMORNING, LET'S GET INTO IT SOOFTEN A IT TURNS OUT THE CLARETHE WINNER WAS ABLE TO REACHAN AMOUNT THAT THEYINSURMOUNTABLE FROM KELLYLAUGHLIN COME IN AND THEN WEOSSOF AND DAVID PERDUE THAT'SA LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO CALLABOUT 16,000 VOTES THATSEPARATE THEM AT THIS TIME IWANT TO ASK YOU WHERE CAN THEYGO FROM HERE WHEN IT COMES TOELECTION.

WE HAVE A WINNERALREADY DECLARED OTHER LEGALRAMIFICATIONS ARE LEGAL THINGSTHAT EITHER CANDIDATE CAN DOFROM HERE.YES, SO IN ALMOST STATES INAN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBEREACH STATE LAWS AROUNDELECTIONS ARE DIFFERENTELECTIONS ARE LARGELY LEFT TOTHE STATES TO DO WHAT THEYSTATE IS DIFFERENT.

BUT INALMOST ALL STATE THERE'S APROVISION THAT SAYS IT'S SOCLOSE.

THERE WILL BE ANAUTOMATIC RECOUNT SO IN THATMIX BETWEEN HER AND PURDUE.THEY'RE STILL IN THE AUTOMATICRECOUNT DOWN UNDER GEORGIANSTATEMENT.

BUT THAT DOESN'TASKED FOR A RECOUNT THEDIFFERENCE WHEN A CANDIDATESAYS I'D LIKE MY REALLY COUNTWAS USUALLY THEM THAT HEARINGSHOULD IT'S AN AUTOMATICRECOUNT THEM THE STATE ITSELFWILL AN AUDIT OR RECOUNT OFTHE ELECTIONS AND AS WE BOTHDO PLAN ON CHALLENGING ATTAKING EVERY LEGAL RECOURSETHEY CAN BEFORE THEY DECIDE TOCONCEDE EVENTUALLY IF THAT'STHE CASE I DO WANT TO GET TOTHE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.TODAY'S A BIG DAY THECERTIFICATION PROCESS.IN THE YOU HAVE 13 GOPSENATORS WHO HAVE COME OUT ANDSAID THEY DO PLAN TO OBJECTTODAY.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ANDTHE OBJECTION IS IT ORCEREMONIAL OR COULD THEREACTUALLY BE OF A PROCESS HERETHAT WOULD STOP THESO WHAT HAPPENS IS IT'SACTUALLY JOINT SESSION OFCONGRESS SO IT'S NOT JUST HEREIN THE HOUSE WE HAVE BOTH THEHOUSE AND SENATE THINGTOGETHER.

THEY PRESENT TODAYIS REALLY JUST TO OPEN THEELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES THATALREADY HALF AND COUNT THEM.WE DO HAVE HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES MEMBERS ANDSENATORS SAID THEY WILL OBJECTTO BE LEFT WORLD'S GREAT INSOME OF THE STATES AND WHENTHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE'S ANOBJECTION FROM BOTH THE HOUSESIDE YOUNG SENATE SIDE.SEPARATION OF THE JOINTSESSIONS, SO THE HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES WILL GO AND IDID LOOK GREAT TOGETHER INTHEIR CHAMBER AND GOING AROUNDHERE IF YOU'RE ON A 2 HOURCLOCK.

EACH OF THESEOBJECTIONS SO THEY GET 2 HOURSTO DISCUSS AND DEBATE ANDOTHERS ABOUT IT'S A SIMPLEMAJORITY MAJORITY OF THE HOUSEAND A MAJORITY OF THE SENATETAKE A ROAD.

LAST BOTHSLATE THE SLATE IS ACCEPTEDAND THE VOTES TO COUNT.

AND SOREALLY WHAT THIS CAN DO ISDELAY THE PROCESS BY 2 HOURSFOR EACH STATE WHERE THERE'SNO OBJECTION.

YEAH, THERE'S NOINDICATION THAT THERE AREENOUGH VOTES IN EITHER THEHOUSE OR THE SENATE TO REJECTANY LATE FROM ANY STATE.PENCE IS GOING TO BE PRESIDINGOVER THAT IT'S TYPICALLY AVERY CEREMONIAL ROLE ANDREALLY QUICKLY BECAUSE WE DOHAVE TO WRAP UP I JUST REALLYQUICK IF YOU CAN ANSWER FOR MEHERE, MIKE PENCE HE'SPRESIDING OVER THIS.

ITSCEREMONIAL IT THE PRESIDENTGETS OUR DO ANYTHING COULDN'TOPEN BOTH THE OUTCOME.PRESSURE TO INVALIDATEELECTORAL VOTES.

THAT ISCORRECT IS NO CONSTITUTIONALPOWER OTHER THAN TO OPEN WETHANK YOU SO MUCH MARY BETHMOYLAN JOINING US MCGEORGESCHOOL OF LAW, THANK YOU SOMUCH, LET'S GET YOUR WEATHERRIGHT NOW METEOROLOGIST AT