Disputed Fact
Beginning at approximately 1:00 p.m. on November 4, 2020, Republican challengers reported systematic denial of re-entry to the TCF Center AVCB under a capacity rationale while reporting that Democrat-aligned individuals were admitted. Detroit Free Press coverage of the prohibition of Republican challengers, asserts that election officials attributed capacity management to the large number of challengers already present—by 1:00 p.m., 268 Democratic, 227 Republican, and 75 nonpartisan challengers were present. Eyewitness accounts note that there was no “checkout process” at the TCF Center and estimate no more than a dozen GOP poll challengers inside the AVCB at the time of the lockout. The court denied a preliminary injunction finding insufficient evidence of partisan exclusion as a systematic policy.
Disputed Fact: whether the access restrictions were selectively applied on partisan grounds, as alleged in sworn affidavits, or were neutral capacity-management measures, as found by the court and the Detroit Free Press reporting.
Citations
Republican Poll Watchers Prevented from Entering Detroit Ballot Counting Center – Local Officials Say It’s Due to ‘COVID’ Concerns (VIDEO), https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/11/exclusive-video-republican-poll-watchers-prevented-entering-detroit-ballot-counting-center-local-officials-say-due-covid-concerns-video/ | The Gateway Pundit
Detroit Free Press, “What Really Happened Inside Detroit’s TCF Center Amid Ballot Counting” (Nov. 6, 2020): https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/04/tcf-center-challengers-detroit-michigan/6164715002/. By 1:00 PM on November 4, there were 268 Democratic, 227 Republican, and 75 nonpartisan challengers; the room’s established limit was exceeded. Both parties’ challengers were denied re-entry due to overcrowding.; Free Press account likely relied upon “official numbers” from election officials seeking to avoid oversight. Eyewitness accounts that include the author of this report who was training the next batch of GOP poll challengers upstairs at the time of the lockout attest to no more than a dozen GOP poll challengers inside at that time and attribute the inflated number of GOP poll challengers cited by the Free Press as potentially due to a distinct lack of a poll challenger checkout process in place throughout the election.
USA Today Fact Check: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/10/fact-check-videos-crowd-locked-out-detroit-center-lack-context/6195038002/. Windows were covered because election workers felt intimidated by challengers filming through them; the Detroit Free Press confirmed this was attributed to anti-intimidation, not concealment of counting.
Costantino v. City of Detroit (Nov. 13, 2020): Court found fraud affidavits “rife with generalization, speculation, hearsay” and found no credible evidence of fraud. Court found Democratic challengers were also blocked. Court credited the capacity explanation. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Costantino_v._City_of_Detroit
Reuters, “Michigan Still Counting Votes, Angry Poll Watchers Barred in Detroit, Trump Sues” (Nov. 5, 2020): https://www.reuters.com/world/us/michigan-still-counting-votes-angry-poll-watchers-barred-detroit-trump-sues-2020-11-05/ | Reuters
TCF Timeline: The 2020 General Election in Detroit, https://drive.google.com/file/d/18f9PLY3IXUPJiMyStdNgMmAYGgjpBXZx/view?usp=drive_link | MC4EI
Costantino v. City of Detroit: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Costantino_v._City_of_Detroit | Court Filing