Michigan AG Dana Nessel says people are threatening, harassing her staff to 'shove sharpies' in places

Michigan's attorney general Dana Nessel asked people to stop harassing and threatening her staff Thursday amid ongoing election results across the country. 

After one of the state's most memorable post-election days ever, in which accusations of voter fraud flooded social media while protesters crowded around an absentee ballot counting location in downtown Detroit, the dust had settled with media organizations projecting Joe Biden had won the state's 16 electoral votes. 

"Dear members of the public: Please stop making harassing & threatening calls to my staff. They are kind, hardworking public servants just doing their job. Asking them to shove sharpies in uncomfortable places is never appropriate & is a sad commentary on the state of our nation," Nessel tweeted. 

The mention of Sharpies is perhaps in reference to a rumor circulating on social media that using a Sharpie to mark a ballot will make it not count. 

The Michigan Department of State fact-checked that rumor - and several others - Thursday amid concerns of voter fraud and election inaccuracies both in Michigan and across the country. 

President Donald Trump's campaign has filed several lawsuits over the counting of ballots, including one here in Michigan. That lawsuit was dismissed Thursday afternoon, though, by a judge.  

Moments after the suit was announced on Wednesday, a group of GOP challengers tried to enter TCF Center in Detroit where hundreds of thousands of ballots are being counted but election staff told FOX 2 they were at capacity for both Democrat and Republican challengers.

The counting of votes continued, however, and Joe Biden was declared the winner later Wednesday afternoon but the lawsuit was still filed by the Trump campaign. Trump’s attorney argued in a brief oral argument that a Republican poll watcher had been removed from a counting room. Judge Cynthia Stephens questioned if that information was hearsay Thursday and ultimately ruled against the President’s lawsuit.

More than 5.5 million people voted in Michigan's presidential election, the most ever and the highest percentage of voting-age residents to cast a ballot in 60 years. The number of voters smashed the record of 5 million in 2008. 

About 71% of those age 18 and older voted. The only general election in the past 72 years with a larger portion was 1960. 

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Thursday it was "particularly inspiring and encouraging" that more than 28,000 people took advantage of a new option and registered and voted on Election Day.