KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo County Commissioner Stephanie Moore wants to make sure every vote is counted, she said.
Thus, she’s decided not to concede.
She’s vying for the District 60 seat in Michigan's House of Representatives against fellow county commissioner Julie Rogers, who’s in the lead by over 400 votes.
“Throughout this election voter disenfranchisement has been real and what’s stopping me is making sure that every vote cast has been counted,” Moore said during an interview with FOX 17 on Thursday. “We saw in the township where there were over 750 incorrect absentee ballots.”
She said those ballots were reprinted and reissued. However she questions if everyone received them, if they were recast and if they were counted.
“What about the people who did not get a chance to recast their ballots? We need to know where those ballots are, how many have not been cast, what’s the outcome.” Moore said. “There needs to be some transparency and accountability here.”
Moore said she’s also heard from many residents outside of the township who received ballots that did not have all the information printed on them.
“We have many people that said that they asked for an absentee ballot and to this day never received it,” Moore said. “We have so many complaints and concerns that you cannot take pride in an election, that has not been carefully administered, that’s not been fair and equitable and representative of all of the voters who intended to participate in this process.”
Moore said there’s too many questions left unanswered.
Rogers said in a phone interview with FOX 17 that she does not share the same concerns as Moore.
“I’m thrilled with the results of the election and I’m so glad so many voters turned out,” Rogers said. “We are waiting for the official certification of the results from the board of canvassers. So we have not declared a formal victory yet.”
The county confirmed to FOX 17 that an audit is happening and that the board of canvassers are reviewing all the records prior to certifying the results.
Moore said the board of canvassers should be done soon. And she hopes every ballot will have been counted.
“I think it should be respected that we’re asking for an audit, for transparency for some folks to come in and look over just to make sure that everything is supposed to be what it is,” Moore said.
