by Scott McClallen
Hillsdale County Clerk Marney Kast’s office will run the Nov. 2 election next week in Adams Township after the Michigan Bureau of Elections said Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott failed to comply with legal requirements for election security.
“The voters of Adams Township expect, deserve, and have a right to have their election carried out in accordance with all state and federal laws,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. “I am confident that the Hillsdale County Clerk’s office will administer the election in a manner that ensures that it is legal, transparent, and secure.”
The Michigan Bureau of Elections said Scott didn’t allow preventative maintenance on voting equipment required to ensure tabulators and voter assist terminals used by voters with disabilities are functioning properly on Election Day. She also stated that she was unwilling to complete required certifications of Public Accuracy Testing of voting machines – which confirms vote-counting machines are accurate and performed transparently.
Following multiple letters from the Bureau of Elections, Scott refused to confirm that she would fulfill her legal requirements.
Scott hasn’t returned a call or a request for comment.
The Detroit News reported that Scott is worried about the tabulator security because of the Nov. 2020 presidential election, which she believes the tabulators were connected or could be connected to the internet.
In an Oct. 15 letter, Director of Elections Jonathan Brater told Scott that “the modem is disabled while polls are open.”
“Tabulator programming does not allow any modem communications to occur while voting is in progress; the secure transmission can occur only after the election is complete and the tabulator tape has been printed,” Brater wrote. “Additionally, data transmission is one-way.”
Benson’s Media Relations Director Tracy Wimmer told The Center Square they don’t have data on prior administrations, but this is the third person that their office has instructed not to administer elections.
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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Vote Here Sign” by Lorie Shaull. CC BY-SA 2.0.
