Human error causes ‘voting fiasco’ at Michigan Republican endorsement convention
Updated: Apr. 24, 2022, 8:37 a.m. | Published: Apr. 24, 2022, 7:45 a.m.
On a night where the 2020-election-doubting Republicans were victorious, a situation arose that halted the voting during the Michigan Republican endorsement convention – upsetting many members in the process.
It happened during the second round of voting on Saturday, April 23, where more than 2,000 delegates were deciding which attorney general candidate to endorse to run against incumbent Democrat Dana Nessel – among other races.
Races and candidates on the ballot were displayed on large screens in the convention hall at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. But the order of the races on the screen didn’t match the order on the ballot, spurring confusion.
After consulting with legal counsel and all candidates, all parties agreed to fix the order on the screens and continue. Voting restarted about half an hour after it halted.
Matt DePerno won the attorney general race with 54% of the vote in the second round, beating Tom Leonard. Kristina Karamo won the secretary of state endorsement with 67% of the vote in the first round. Voting went to a second round if no candidate got 50% of the votes or more.
The endorsements aren’t final. Republicans can override their choice at their August convention with a 75% vote.
RELATED: Kristina Karamo lands GOP Secretary of State endorsement to face Jocelyn Benson in November
The paper ballots on Saturday clearly listed the races, according to a ballot screenshot obtained by MLive. But they didn’t include names, they only said “Candidate A, Candidate B, etc.” Voters had to look at the screen to see who was Candidate A and Candidate B.
Aaron Miller was one of the delegates who realized he voted incorrectly, thinking the attorney general’s race was the last position on the ballot instead of the first. He spoiled his ballot and revoted.
“Several people with me had to spoil their ballots,” Miller said. “A lot of people were confused.”
There weren’t enough extra ballots to toss the ballots and start the second round of voting over, per a person familiar with the situation. Some delegates were upset with the error.
“It’s just unconscionable. It’s just unacceptable,” said delegate John Lauve, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1990 and state house more recently. “They’re all amateurs ... This is a joke.”
Beau LaFave, a candidate for secretary of state who lost in the first round of voting, called the situation a “voting fiasco.” Some delegates may have left without realizing they voted differently than they intended, he said.
“They’re going to have to vote again or reconvene this thing again in August and fix it,” LaFave said. “I have no idea what’s going to happen. I don’t want to prognosticate. But people are going back to the Upper Peninsula. People have gone back to Detroit, Lansing, Clare. They’re gone.”
LaFave said he’s “never seen a convention run this poorly.”
Gustavo Portela, Michigan Republican Party spokesperson, said the situation was handled in a “pro-voter way.” He said the party doesn’t believe the snafu affected any votes.
The discrepancy was a “human error,” Portela said.
“As we do care about the integrity of this election, we wanted to make sure that at the end of the day, the voters’ concerns were not just heard, but that we were able to move on with every campaign that was involved ultimately agreeing to proceeding before doing anything – and that’s exactly what happened,” Portelo said.
DePerno and Karamo were both endorsed by President Donald Trump. Their campaigns have been centered on Trump’s unproven claims of a rigged election in 2020.
Neither seemed to have a problem with the integrity of Saturday’s vote – although both refused to take questions after making a statement to the press.
Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Michigan: Governor's race 2022
https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2 ... ntion.html
Hic sunt dracones
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Re: Michigan
Should have hired Dominion
Re: Michigan
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna30673Five Republican candidates for governor in Michigan — including top-tier contenders James Craig and Perry Johnson — failed to qualify for the August primary Thursday after the Board of State Canvassers rejected their nominating petitions because of alleged rampant signature fraud.
The bipartisan panel, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, deadlocked 2-2 along party lines in accepting recommendations by the state Elections Bureau to disqualify all five. A majority was required to keep a candidate on the ballot.
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Re: Michigan
From the article:Chilidog wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 6:25 pmhttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna30673Five Republican candidates for governor in Michigan — including top-tier contenders James Craig and Perry Johnson — failed to qualify for the August primary Thursday after the Board of State Canvassers rejected their nominating petitions because of alleged rampant signature fraud.
The bipartisan panel, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, deadlocked 2-2 along party lines in accepting recommendations by the state Elections Bureau to disqualify all five. A majority was required to keep a candidate on the ballot.
"We are disappointed in the Board of Canvassers decision, but we are not surprised the partisan Democrats on the committee ruled against Michigan voters," Craig said in a statement. "It is a travesty that partisans in a position to uphold democracy and the will of the people allowed politics to get in the way."
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Re: Michigan
You either have the number of valid signatures required, or you don’t. It isn’t a political decision. Next time, don’t go with the lowest bidder. Sorry.
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams
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Re: Michigan
Better yet, don't go with the guy who was previously convicted of signature fraud.raison de arizona wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 6:58 pm You either have the number of valid signatures required, or you don’t. It isn’t a political decision. Next time, don’t go with the lowest bidder. Sorry.
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
NEW: Michigan Supreme Court docket indicates justices have DENIED ballot access appeals by GOP gubernatorial candidates Perry Johnson, James Craig and Michael Markey. Rulings are not accessible yet
- raison de arizona
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Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
and another GOP candidate goes down
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Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Are kidding? I would imagine this will probably bump him up in the polls.
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
I didn't know about this thread, I posted some links on this in the Assault on Capitol thread. But what
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Cross posting.
Michigan gubernatorial hopeful Ryan Kelley appears in court in one hour in Jan 6 case
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Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Judge ruled that Ryan can't carry his gunz on the campaign trail like he wanted to, but he is free to move about within the state. Also, he is leading the poll for the Rs, survey was taken AFTER his arrest.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/federal-j ... -riot-case
https://thehill.com/homenews/3526580-ry ... an-6-poll/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/federal-j ... -riot-case
https://thehill.com/homenews/3526580-ry ... an-6-poll/
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
ARRAIGNMENT set for July 7 in the US Capitol breach case of Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley
Less than one month before primary
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
https:// twitter.com/atrupar/status/1545043619194630151
ALERT: Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley pleads NOT GUILTY in Capitol breach case
Edit: Must have pasted the wrong twitter link here
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Surprised Abbott isn't pushing this oneFront-runner for MI GOP nomination for Governor, and indicted insurrectionist, Ryan Kelley says the solution to preventing rapes is more women getting firearms training.
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley says he's "NOT CONCEDING" his primary loss and fourth place finish. In morning Facebook post, he is instead spreading conspiracy theories and suggesting a "predetermined outcome" for Tudor Dixon.#MIGOV
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Ryan Kelley, who received more than 165,000 votes in the Michigan GOP primary, features prominently in this newly released Jan. 6 video.
“1776!”
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Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Wow… quite surprised by those poll results. She is not popular in the red part of Northern Michigan where I am.
Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
This may help explain the voter gap mentioned above:
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Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Yeah, but like 3 people live up here (and you and I are two of them...). Michigan statewide politics hinges on Detroit not upstate -- any Republican running for statewide office has to have a broad enough appeal to get some of the people in the center that lean Democratic or the big downstate cities overwhelm them. Tudor Dixon is way too (not also) far to the right to really be a viable candidate for Governor unless there is a Republican mega-wave this November.
That being said, I would take the polling results with a grain of salt (about the size of the yearly production of the Detroit salt mines...). I think political horserace polls are beyond useless these days. It's been coming for a long time with the decline of land lines, but when you factor in people deliberately screwing with results, the selection bias from people who don't trust polls and won't participate, the dynamics of large groups on both sides who vote against candidates they believe are evil rather than for candidates they like, the effect of Dobbs on how important positions on abortion (pro and con) are to people's voting choices, and how the current economic and political status quo will shape turnout, how much faith are you really willing to put in any polling numbers? Are you willing to base your actions (i.e. where and how scarce political resources are spent) on polling? Are you willing to bet that those polling numbers will be within one or two percent of the final outcome?
I'm not. Yes, I would be beyond shocked if Tudor Dixon wins, but, to me, the interesting question (which will have implications across the entire ballot) is how much the polling is off and in which direction. There are plausible arguments for it being off in either direction -- in fact, the only thing you can't make a plausible argument about is the reliability of the polling itself. It's time that we stop polling popularity contests between cults of personality and start polling to find out what is important to individual voters.
Or at least that's my take on it.
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Re: Michigan: Governor's race 2022
Two-Door Dixon rallies tonight with Donald J. Trump!
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.