Gov. Patrick Certifies Brown Election

U.S. Sen.-elect Scott Brown, R-Mass., center, appears with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick after a private meeting at the State House on Thursday. (Gretchen Ertl/AP)

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick signed off on the final results of the state’s U.S. Senate special general election Thursday morning, clearing the way for Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown to be sworn-in Thursday afternoon in Washington.

The paperwork was expedited after Brown’s lawyer demanded to have it in hand by 11 a.m. Thursday morning.

Brown was initially going to be sworn-in next week, on Feb. 11, but he moved up the date because he says he wants to participate in a series of upcoming Senate votes.

On Thursday, Brown also officially resigned from the Massachusetts Senate, as his staff delivered resignation letters to the Senate’s clerk and President Therese Murray.