Michigan Clerk Removed From Election Duty Over Plans for a Hand Count

Two local election officials in Michigan have been removed from overseeing the vote, state officials said on Tuesday, in a forceful move to keep Trump-aligned officials from trying to subvert election rules.

Tom Schierkolk, the clerk of Rock River Township in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and his deputy, David LaMere, were removed after telling state officials that they intended to hand count ballots before sending their tally on for the county canvass, according to a letter that Jonathan Brater, Michigan’s elections director, sent to Mr. Schierkolk on Monday informing him of the decision.

Mr. Schierkolk is tied to a network of activists who have pushed several baseless theories about corruption in elections and, at times, advocated the hand-counting of ballots, apparently believing that electronic voting machines are insecure. Donald J. Trump and his allies spread the idea widely after his defeat in 2020, claiming, falsely, that the machines had changed the votes to Joseph R. Biden Jr.

In his letter, Mr. Brater noted that hand-counting is against the law and could undermine the accuracy and security of the count. Experts believe voting machines are generally more reliable and faster than hand counts. Mr. Brater wrote that the clerk had refused an order from the Michigan secretary of state’s office to follow proper procedures.




https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/us/politics/michigan-election-voting-ballots.html