Gogebic County canvassing results determine write-in win

By TOM LAVENTURE

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Bessemer - A declared write-in candidate won a trustee seat in Bessemer Township following the Gogebic County Board of Canvassing certification of the general election results on Tuesday.

There were two trustee seats on the ballot in the township, and while incumbent Beverly Ikola retained hers without opposition, there was no second candidate. The canvassers awarded 30 write-in ballots to Sue Roberts, who was a declared write-in candidate for trustee. 

"There is a township trustee race where there was a vote for two and there was one person on the ballot and then the write-in," Gerry Pelissero, clerk of court and register of deeds for Gogebic County said to the canvassing board members, Connie Pricco, Bessemer; Liz Sweeney, Ironwood; Joy Pelissero, Ironwood, and Donna Frello, an alternate canvasser from Bessemer. "Sue Roberts will be declared the winner as we complete this process."

There were 19 write-in votes for "Sue Roberts" and the canvassing board needed to review write-in votes that didn't match the candidate's exact name. There were 9 more votes for "Susan Roberts," and 1 each for "Suzy Roberts" and "Susan K. Roberts."

The state of Michigan does not require correct spelling and charges canvassing boards with considering the intent of the voter as expressed by his or her ballot and in light of surrounding circumstances, Pelissero said. In this case there is no doubt that the voters intended to support Sue Roberts as she is a qualified write-in candidate and the votes for her were in the trustee box.

There were 15 more write-in ballots that were not awarded because the voter did not both fill in the oval next to the write-in box or write a name of a qualified write-in candidate in the box.

Another declared write-in candidate was awarded votes in the Watersmeet Township School Board contest but that did not make a difference in the outcome of that contest.

Marisa Van Zile was awarded 23 votes after canvassers reviewed write-in ballots for the declared candidate but whose name was not on the ballot. The ballots also had different spellings for her name that the canvassing board had to determine the intent of the voter was for Van Zile. Nine other absentee ballots were not awarded.

Ironwood Township could end up with a recount. There were six candidates for four open town trustee seats and the fourth place candidate, James Simmons Jr., outgoing township supervisor, won the fourth seat with 701 votes, while Vicki Nelson's 700 votes were one short of a tie with Simmons.

"Because there is a one-vote difference Nelson has the opportunity to request a recount," Pelissero said. "If that does happen, then the canvassing committee would meet again to recertify that contest."

There were people who voted absentee who showed up at the polls on Election Day worried that their ballots were not tabulated, Pelissero said. The poll officers were able to check and tell them the vote was recorded and that they could not vote again, he said.

The election inspectors did their job so the canvas board was able to follow and confirm that imbalances at the precincts were resolved without remaining ballots, he said.

The poll officials tabulated absentee ballots throughout election day and the counting was completed by 11 p.m. 

"We did not count a ballot after election night in Gogebic County," Pelissero said.

Ballots were off by 1 in the 1st and 3rd precincts of the city of Ironwood districts due to ballot jams, Pelissero said. The ballots were physically counted and matched with the paperwork submitted and the tabulation results were balanced with the poll books.

In the city of Wakefield, the ballot count was one off due to an absentee ballot that was delivered and tabulated on Election Day but did not get recorded in the electronic poll book. The ballot was identified and the tabulator and poll books were in balance.

In Marenisco Township, there was a two ballot difference between the tabulator and the poll book that may have also been due to jams, Pelissero said. Two precinct inspectors physically counted the ballots and sealed them when they were found to be in balance.

"Each and every one of the precincts is in balance," Pelissero said.

The outcome of two contests for the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District were not changed when out of county school district votes from Duncan Township in Houghton County were added to the candidate totals. Duncan Township is in Houghton County but part of the GOISD.

Jame Ojala won the partial term seat ending Dec. 31, 2022, with a total 2,453 votes after 46 votes were added from Duncan Township. In the four-year GOISD seat contest, Brian Amos still led all votes with 2,064 after 22 Duncan Township votes were added. He took one of two open seats along with Carol Allen Yakovich who totaled 1,801 votes with the 26 she received from Duncan. Bill Steiger had 900 votes including 24 from Duncan but fell short of a seat.

The canvassing took from 10 a.m. to 1:35 p.m. to complete. Pelissero said every county in the state is limited to a board of four canvassers and the highly populated counties can have canvassing that can take 8 hour days over several days to complete.

Bonnie Mansfield and Denise Fauntleroy, both of Watersmeet, were two observers from the Gogebic County Democratic Party.