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Wayne County Board of Canvassers asks Secretary of State to audit unbalanced precincts following certification approval

Board was initially in a 2-2 split on certification decision

DETROIT – The Wayne County Board of Canvassers unanimously voted to certify the November election results Tuesday and asked the Michigan Secretary of State to conduct an audit of any Wayne County precincts with unexplained mismatching vote totals.

The board initially was deadlocked with a 2-2 vote. Two Republican members of the board voted not to certify and Democratic members voted to certify.

The two Republican members, Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, initially did not vote to certify, saying 70% of Detroit’s absentee voter counting boards were not balanced. If the numbers don’t balance, they cannot be recounted.

Detroit had the same issue in the August primary, but the board voted to certify the results then.

RELATED: In reversal, Wayne County Board of Canvassers unanimously approve certification of election votes

RELATED: Deadlocked Wayne County Board of Canvassers fails to certify election results

Palmer suggested certifying the rest of Wayne County but excluding Detroit, which was criticized by some members of the public.

After hours of public comment, the board reached a compromise to certify the results but also ask Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to investigate the unbalanced precincts within the county, including Detroit and Livonia.

“I am absolutely satisfied with the outcome with the certification of the votes,” said Board of Canvassers vice chair Jonathon Kinloch. “I’m very proud of my colleagues on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers. We found a way to address concerns that have been lingering.”

You can watch the full report in the video posted above.


About the Authors
DeJanay Booth headshot

DeJanay Booth joined WDIV as a web producer in July 2020. She previously worked as a news reporter in New Mexico before moving back to Michigan.

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