ADAMS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Voters in one in all Michigan’s most conservative counties have ousted a small-town clerk accused of improperly dealing with voting gear after casting doubt on President Joe Biden’s election victory.
Stephanie Scott misplaced Tuesday’s recall election in Hillsdale County’s Adams Township to Suzy Roberts, who bought 406 votes to Scott’s 214, in keeping with unofficial outcomes reported by the county clerk’s workplace.
Roberts, a Republican who identifies as an unbiased, filed as non-party-affiliated within the recall election as a result of Michigan legislation doesn’t permit for challengers to file underneath the identical political social gathering, the Hillsdale Each day Information reported beforehand.
Scott had run unopposed as a first-time Republican candidate when she was chosen within the November 2020 election to deal with the voting in Adams Township, a reliably Republican group the place the ticket of Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence acquired practically 76% of the vote that yr.
However she joined a crew of GOP elections officers across the nation who’ve questioned the accuracy of U.S. voting techniques. Scott is amongst quite a few elections officers across the nation accused of mishandling voting gear of their zeal to uncover fraud.
Earlier than Tuesday’s recall election towards Scott, her challenger stated that “the mendacity has to cease.”
“In some way, nationwide, now we have to make mendacity flawed,” stated Roberts, 69. “In case you bought caught within the lie there was a sense of disgrace. It needs to be flawed once more.”
A message looking for remark was left Wednesday with Roberts. Scott and her lawyer didn’t reply questions or present remark earlier than Tuesday’s election, and extra messages looking for remark have been left Wednesday.
Throughout preparations for her township’s November 2021 election, Scott stated she had voting accuracy issues and had thought-about paper ballots and a hand rely earlier than deciding on utilizing the identical voting system.
The state intervened after Scott allegedly refused to permit a contractor to carry out preventive upkeep and didn’t conduct accuracy assessments, amongst different points. She was stripped of her duties working township elections in October 2021.
When the Hillsdale County clerk’s workplace took custody of an election tabulator and a voter-assist terminal from township workplaces to arrange for a public accuracy check, they found the tabulator’s pill had been eliminated. It was later seized by Michigan State Police after Scott allegedly refused to show it over.
Considered one of Scott’s supporters, Adams Township Supervisor Mark Nichols, additionally misplaced in Tuesday’s recall election. Challenger Randy G. Johnson bested Nichols by 394 to 222 votes, unofficial outcomes present.