The hand recount in Livingston County of ballots cast on Proposal 22-3 has resulted in 4 additional yes votes, and 1 less no vote, a swing of 5 votes in support of the proposal, which adds the right to abortion and contraceptive use to Michigan’s Consititution.
In Livingston County, Proposal 3 lost in the general election by a little more than 1 point, with 50.57% of voters giving it a thumbs down and 49.43% of voters supporting it.
The recount of nearly 17,000 votes took place Wednesday at the John E. LaBelle Public Safety Complex in Howell.
“All precincts were recountable,” Hundley said. “Thank you to everyone who worked to make (the day) run smooth.”
The Livingston County recount was part of the partial recount of votes cast in the Nov. 8 General Election by the Board of State Canvassers. Livingston County was one of 43 in which Proposal 3 votes were recounted by hand; votes on Proposal 2, which legalizes early voting and ballot drop boxes, were recounted in four counties that did not include Livingston.
Under Michigan law — MCL 168.894 — the cost of recounting the ballots cast falls to the taxpayers in the municipality in question; in Livingston County, it will be Livingston County’s taxpayers.
The recount was requested by a conservative activist network that previously advocated for “decertification” of the 2020 presidential election and is now claiming “fraud” in the 2022 contest.
According to a report in Bridge Michigan, Jerome Allen, a member of the nonprofit group, paid the state $428,000 to cover estimated fees required for the recount under Michigan law. Some of that money will be refunded because the initial estimate was based on the assumption it would cost $250 per precinct, but the cost is actually $125 per precinct, according to Michigan Secretary of State spokesperson Angela Benander.
Regardless, recount requesters say the tab will be covered by The America Project, a national nonprofit founded by Utah businessman Patrick Byrne — founder of Overstock.com — and former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
The recount wasn’t conducted to overturn the two ballot measures, both of which were approved by Michigan voters by wide margins; instead, those requesting the recount were quoting in news reports saying that they are seeking “data” that “will be used to determine future actions.”
