A county board of canvassers in the Upper Peninsula ultimately voted to certify results from local elections earlier this month, avoiding a situation where the Michigan Board of State Canvassers would assume responsibility for certifying the results.

The Delta County Board of Canvassers voted 3-0 Friday to certify the county’s May 7 election, Clerk Nancy Przewrocki told the Free Press. The Friday vote came after the board initially split 2-2 on certification Tuesday, May 14, delaying the swearing-in of three new county commissioners. Results show three incumbent Republican commissioners facing recall being heavily defeated in each race.

County canvassing boards gather, following elections, to certify the results. For local races, until the county board of canvassers votes to certify an election, election results remain “unofficial” and candidates cannot be sworn in. The canvass done by the county board involves reviewing and authenticating the final vote totals returned by election workers in each of the county’s precincts.

Przewrocki said the board’s two Republican canvassers, Bonnie Hakkola and LeeAnne Oman, voted against certification on Tuesday, May 14, due to concerns with the three recall elections all having similar margins. Despite tabulator reports being accurate, and machines undergoing several logic and accuracy tests conducted by local election officials, Przewrocki said Hakkola and Oman initially wanted a hand recount conducted. County canvassing boards lack the authority to call for recounts in elections involving candidates, Przewrocki said.

“The machines were tested several times by myself and the local clerks to sure that they were running accurately,” Przewrocki said. “We saw no problems in the testing.” The delay in certification meant the three new county commissioners could not yet be sworn in, as results of the recalls remained unofficial until the board voted to certify Friday.

Hakkola declined to comment when reached by the Free Press Monday. Oman didn’t respond to a voice message left Friday. Oman also did not participate in the Friday vote, as she was standing in for Sema Deeds in the May 14 certification, according to the Iron Mountain Daily News.

Przewrocki said Hakkola read a statement before the vote on Friday. The Daily News reported that Hakkola said she felt “coerced” and continued to call for a recount, although that remained beyond the scope of the county board.

“It’s been certified, so it’s good to move forward,” Przewrocki said.

The initial delay prompted a response from state officials ― Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater sent the Delta County board a letter indicating state law outlines the role of a local canvassing board as clerical and administrative. Brater wrote that if Delta County failed to certify the results of its special election, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, based in Lansing, would assume responsibility for certification. In that event, Delta County would have to cover costs of travel and providing records to the state board.

“Under both the Michigan Constitution and Michigan Election Law, county canvassers have a clear and nondiscretionary duty to certify election results based solely on election returns,” Brater wrote. “The Constitution and Michigan Election Law do not authorize boards of county canvassers to refuse to certify election results based on claims made by third parties of alleged election irregularities, or a general desire to conduct election investigations.”

But the scenario was avoided with Friday’s vote. The delay in Delta County’s election results harkened back to uncertainty in the typically administrative process of election certification following the 2020 election, where canvassers in Wayne County initially were deadlocked 2-2 on certifying election results. The board later voted 4-0 to certify the 2020 election results, ending a short period of uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the presidential race in Wayne County, which includes Detroit.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) @arpanlobo.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Delta County board certifies recall elections after initial delay