The notice from Genoa Township posted Friday about a delay in the mailing of absentee ballots due to “circumstances beyond (their) control” got the attention of some voters already on edge about the upcoming midterm election.
But the township’s electorate can rest easy. Everything is on track, according to Livingston County Clerk Elizabeth Hundley, who explained that there is no delay.
It appears the notice to voters went out as Genoa Township was being too efficient in preparing for the election. Even though it wasn’t required, Genoa Township Clerk Rick Soucy had planned to test the ballots before they went out to voters.
“We were trying to stay ahead of the curve,” Soucy said. “Basically, everything is on track.”
“We’re ahead of the curve in a lot of ways and we needed to get those ballots to do our testing, have our election commission meeting, and have our accurate public access tests,” Soucy said. “We’ve got all that scheduled out.”
The problem is that this schedule — particularly the testing of ballots — was created on getting the ballots earlier than when they will actually be available.
“We don’t have to do the testing before we mail the ballots, but I just feel it’s important that we do the testing before we mail the ballots to make sure that they’re all accurate and everything works out right,” Soucy said.
Even though he won’t be sticking to his original schedule, and even though he doesn’t have to do ballot testing before mailing them, Soucy said he’s going through with his original plan.
“I’m going to make sure we do our testing before we mail the ballots,” he said. “Even if we’re here ’til midnight every night. Just to make sure everything’s right.”
Soucy was elected to the Genoa Township Board in November 2024; he was appointed clerk in 2025 after then-Clerk Janine Deaton resigned less than a year into her term. Soucy won the primary for that position in August, and will face Democrat Matthew McClanahan in November.
