ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Delta County Board of Canvassers certified the results of the May 7 recall election during a final vote on Friday.
Challengers Kelli Van Ginhoven, Myra Croasdell, and Matt Jensen defeated then-sitting commissioners David Moyle, Bob Barron, and Robert Petersen in their respective districts. According to results posted to ElectionReporting.com, Moyle received 353 votes to Van Ginhoven’s 932, Barron received 514 to Croasdell’s 1,410, and Petersen received 358 votes while Jensen received 947.
Earlier this week, two Republican canvassers—one being Bonnie Hakkola—voted against certifying the election results. Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki says their decision was based on the ratio of votes, which is not one of the criteria canvassers are responsible for evaluating.
Without the local board’s certification, the election would have to go to the State Board of Canvassers at a cost to the county. On May 16, the Director of Elections Secretary for the State Board of Canvassers, Jonathan Brater, wrote a letter to the Delta County canvassers, informing them of their legal obligations and the consequences of not certifying the election results.
Brater wrote in part, “Clerks, election staff, and poll workers in Delta County have worked extremely hard to conduct local elections with integrity on May 7. This work was done immediately following a statewide February presidential primary that necessitated extended hours of preparation and work. Clerks are now in the midst of preparing for the August primary, another substantial effort. Please consider the Board’s legal requirements as well as the impacts of members’ failure to do their legal duty on election officials in Delta County, prior to the Board’s deadline to certify on May 20.”
On Friday, Delta County canvassers were met at the courthouse by some of the Delta County Citizens for Ethical Leadership, holding signs calling for certification.
“We’ve studied up on the role of our county’s Board of Canvassers, and it’s not within their purview to decide that there might have been a problem with anything to do with the election results themselves,” said member Andrea Nummilien. “This is not representative of who we are as a community, and we are so ready for this roadblock to be behind us so we can get on to the business of the community.”
Hakkola opened the Board of Canvassers meeting by reading a statement she had prepared.
“I am being asked to certify the May 7th recall election,” she read. “I am being coerced into signing the document.”
She went on to call the integrity of the voting equipment into question.
“The fundamental right to vote must not be impaired by putting our ballots into a voting machine which we are not allowed to examine,” said Hakkola. “Having impartial experts who can audit the machines is essential to transparency of the voting process.”
“I think it’s just a bunch of conspiracy stuff that has been generated over the last couple years nationwide,” Canvasser John Myers told media after the meeting. “It gives our county a black eye and it also gives the Board of Canvassers. The people should have trust in what we do.”
Myers made a motion to certify the election. Three canvassers voted in favor, while Kakkola abstained.
According to Przewrocki, a recount can be requested within six days of certification. However, it must be requested by one of the candidates.
Hakkola declined a request for comment.
