After the Election...

8:00 P.M. on Primary Election Day is not the end of the day for the Clerk’s office staff. Each precinct and absentee counting board brings their results to our office for review, verification, and preparation for sending them to Oakland County. We establish Receiving Boards, who are trained to check the sealed results to make sure the number on the tape printed by the machine that counts the votes, the number of voter applications, and the numbers of voters recorded on the electronic poll book are all identical. This double check of the number of ballots cast ensures that no vote is left uncounted, and the opposite – that no extra ballots could be “stuffed” into the ballot container.

After all the reviewing is completed, another team, called the Resealing Team, takes apart the three sets of reports created at the precinct, and separates them into envelopes for the County Clerk, the County Board and Canvassers, and me. That way there are reports in three separate departments, so in the event of a fire or other disaster we still have the results available. A Certifying Team is used only in State Primary Elections to certify the results of the Precinct Delegate races.

From our office at the end of the night, two sets of envelopes are delivered to Oakland County. Within a few days after that, the Board of Canvassers goes over each precinct with a magnifying glass and fine-toothed comb, making certain all the numbers are correct. The election results are considered “unofficial” until the canvass is completed, usually within a few weeks.

With all these checks and balances in place, it is safe to assume the results from Auburn Hills for the State Primary Election are accurate.

The City is very proud of our election staff and the integrity of the results. We send a huge thank you to all the Chairs, Inspectors, office staff, Receiving Board, Resealing Board and Certification Boards who make our elections successful. We couldn’t do it without you.

And thanks for voting, if you were one of the 15% who did. If not, see you on November 4^th!

Terri Kowal, MMC, City Clerk