A recount of various local and regional precincts regarding Proposal 2022-3, which puts abortion rights in the Michigan Constitution following its passage on Election Day, takes place on Friday at the Marquette Township Hall. A downstate group, the Election Integrity Fund and Force, earlier filed a partial recount petition. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)

By CHRISTIE MASTRIC

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — A partial recount for Proposal 2022-3 in various local and regional precincts got underway on Friday at the Marquette Township Hall.

The Election Integrity Fund and Force recently filed a partial recount petition for proposals 2022-2 and 2022-3 at the Board of Elections in Lansing.

Proposals 2022-2 and 2022-3 enshrined voting rights and abortion rights, respectively, in the state constitution. Voters on Nov. 8 approved both proposals.

The recount, which was to 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.

Officials have indicated that the recount is not expected to change the overall result of the Nov. 8 election.

The Marquette County recount involves only Proposal 3.

Kristi Dougan of the Michigan Bureau of Elections and a representative for the Michigan Board of Canvassers participated in Friday’s recount.

The recount at the township hall was for several precincts in Marquette, Houghton and Dickinson counties, she said.

Specifically, precincts 2, 5 and 7 in the city of Marquette as well as Precinct 1 in Chocolay Township; Precinct 2 in the city of Houghton; precincts 1 and 2 in the city of Kingsford; and Precinct 1 in the city of Norway were the focus.

Dougan anticipated the recount would be finished on Friday.

“It’s a hand recount according to the procedures of the state Board of Canvassers,” said Dougan, who said the count teams started the tallying at 1 p.m.

The petitioner selected the precincts to be recounted, she said.

“The first step is to determine the security of the ballot containers that were brought here today with a check (of) the integrity of the ballot containers and a check of the seals, which were affixed on Election Day, and documented and attested to according to the poll books and the ballot container certificates,” Dougan said.

The seals then were to be broken and the voted ballots pulled out, with recount ability then determined, she said. The physical recount of voted ballots needs to match the number of names in the poll book or ballots tabulated on Election Day.

“Once they determine that a precinct is recountable, then they are asked to sort the ballots based on ‘yes’ or ‘no’ votes,” Dougan said, “and then there are some ballots that will not have a mark for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote, and they will sort that into another pile.”

The “yes” and “no” vote piles, she said, will determine the recount of votes in that precinct.

“It’s not unusual to request recounts, and it’s a state authority recount, and only certain precincts were requested, so there’s a bit of traveling to cover the geography of Michigan to accomplish this,” Dougan said.

The state Board of Canvassers, she noted, were recount observers.

“This is a transparent process with recounting votes,” Dougan said.

Following the recount, each county board of canvassers was to certify the results, with records taken to Lansing for final certification by the state Board of Canvassers, she said. That information will be posted at www.michigan.gov/elections.

Dougan said the process is expected to continue through next week, with the conclusion anticipated to be around Dec. 19, with a state Board of Canvassers meeting slated for about Dec. 21.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.