Vote Reporting Mixup Drastically Changes Apparent Results

A batch of unreported votes in Leelanau County means a “blue wave” in that county may be reversed.

Leelanau County Clerk Michelle Crocker tells The Ticker that a batch of a few thousand early votes were not properly reported as the county populated vote totals for the public to view on election night. This omission was discovered during canvassing, as election officials reviewed hard copy printouts.

The updated vote count – still very unofficial until the canvassing process is over – shows that apparent county commission victors Kama Ross and Scott Perry will lose to Republicans Alan Campbell and Mark Walter, respectively. Republican Will Bunek also pulled ahead of apparent Democrat victor Lois Bahle by seven votes, a race so close that Crocker cautioned to wait until the canvassing process is over.

The drain commission race will flip from Democrat Faith Hoekstra to Republican Timothy O’Non. Additional township races could also be affected, Crocker says.

Crocker says her office is still looking into what happened, but the issue appears to be a software problem.

“The numbers for the early voting site were not reflected within the unofficial numbers. They were put in just like all the precincts, but they were not in the report,” she tells The Ticker. “It was discovered during canvassing that the report we use to upload to the public website that everyone’s looking at did not contain everything.”

This is an example (an albeit extreme example) of why election results are to be considered unofficial until the canvassing process is complete, Crocker says.

“As mundane as the process is for county canvassers, this shows that it really does work,” she says.

As of this afternoon, Crocker had reached out to affected candidates, either speaking to them directly or leaving messages. She feels terrible, she says.

“I have not cried yet, but you asking the question (about how I’m feeling) is probably going to make me cry. Our hearts just sunk,” she says. “You have no idea how hard we work to make this right and not let…anything we do come into question, and this was like – what the heck??”

The county website now has vote totals that accurately reflect the heretofore unreported votes, Crocker says, though she stresses nothing is official until canvassing is complete.

Scott Perry, reached for comment, said he was “shocked” to receive Crocker’s call and needs more answers. He expects that the incident won’t stay local for long.

“I’m curious to understand more and I’m surprised at the results,” he tells The Ticker. “It sounds like the attorney general is getting involved. I don’t know that to be true, but that seems like this is up her alley.”