MARQUETTE — Marquette County is one of dozens of Michigan counties targeted in recount petitions for Proposal 3 before the Michigan Board of State Canvassers.

The Election Integrity Fund and Force recently filed a partial recount petition for proposals 2 and 3 at the Board of Elections in Lansing.

Proposals 2 and 3 enshrined voting rights and abortion rights, respectively, in the state constitution. Voters on Nov. 8 approved both proposals.

The recount, which will involve votes in more than 600 Michigan precincts, was made possible by financial support from The America Project to cover the cost of filing for the recount.

Jerome Jay Allen, of downstate Bloomfield Township in Oakland County, filed the recount petitions, alleging that there was “fraud or error” regarding software altering votes and election equipment being connected to the internet, relating to both proposals.

The Marquette County recount only involves Proposal 3, according to Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma.

She confirmed that the Michigan Board of Elections will conduct a recount of city of Marquette precincts 2, 5 and 7, and Chocolay Township Precinct 1, as per the recount request.

The recount will start at noon on Friday and is expected to be completed that day.

“The data from the recount will be used to determine future actions,” the EIF said in a statement. “This is one big step forward for the election integrity movement and the effort to hold our elected officials accountable to conduct transparent and trustworthy elections for the Michigan citizens.”

Most of the burden of the cost of the local recount will be on Marquette County, Talsma said in an email.

“A small portion is paid by the initiator of the recount, but never enough to cover the full cost of a recount,” Talsma said. “I don’t expect the numbers tallied by hand to be any different than when they were tabulated on Election Day, but nevertheless, the Bureau of Elections will be conducting this recount in a professional manner along with the county clerks and city/township clerks.” 

Other Upper Peninsula precincts that will be part of the recount for Proposal 3 are precincts 1, 2 and 3 in the city of Sault Ste. Marie in Chippewa County; precincts 1 and 2 in the city of Kingsford, and Precinct 1 in the city of Norway, both in Dickinson County; and Precinct 2 in the city of Houghton in Houghton County.