iStock/Thinkstock(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) — Alabama’s state canvassing board has officially certified the results of the Dec. 12 special election, effectively declaring Democrat Doug Jones the winner.
Earlier in the day, an Alabama judge dismissed Roy Moore’s last minute lawsuit to delay certification of the Alabama special election results until a “thorough” investigation of “potential election fraud” was conducted.
The court filing shared on Moore’s campaign Facebook page alleged election integrity experts concluded “election fraud occured.”
“This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone,” Moore wrote, calling on Secretary of State John Merrill to delay certification.
Merrill told ABC’s Birmingham affiliate WBMA that he would have obeyed any court order.
“We have had more than 115 allegations of voter fraud,” Merrill told WMBA. “We hae investigated them…more than 60 fully adjudicated.”
Adding, “we are committed to integrity in our election process, I want [viewers] to have full confidence in our election process.”
Jones defeated Moore by a 49.9-48.4 margin, a difference of less than 21,000 votes. It’s the first time a Democrat has won a Senate seat in Alabama in 25 years.
“This desperate attempt by Roy Moore to subvert the will of the people will not succeed,” Sam Coleman, a spokesperson for Jones, told ABC News. “The election is over, it’s time to move on.”
The former Democratic U.S. attorney filed a motion to dismiss Moore’s lawsuit. Jones will be sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 3, an Alabama circuit court official confirmed to ABC News on Thursday.
Moore has not yet conceded the race to Jones.
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