Police Close Off Michigan Capitol as Electoral College Meets

A group of people disputed the closure of the Michigan State Capitol, which was shuttered to the public as the Electoral College voted on Monday, December 14, according to local media reports.

The Capitol in Lansing was closed to the public due to “credible threats of violence” and electors were offered a police escort for Monday’s meeting, officials told local media. Michigan’s 16 electors certified the state’s votes for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Monday afternoon.

In this footage, a group speaks to police about entering the Capitol as an officer explains to the crowd that the building is closed to unauthorized people. The group responds by saying “we are electors,” and continues to inquire about entry.

“The electors are already here, they’ve been checked in,” the officer says in response.

It’s unclear who the people are in the crowd. The Michigan State Police responded to the footage on Twitter, reiterating that the Capitol is closed to the public and “anyone not authorized to be in the building.”

Storyful has contacted the Michigan Secretary of State and the Michigan State Police for further information but did not hear back by the time of writing. Credit: Brendan Gutenschwager via Storyful