Somebody grab a clothes pin. This does not pass the small test.
Rep. Terry Brown, a hard-working guy from Pigeon was all set to
return to Lansing for another two years. But he got rolled up in that
GOP snowball that tumbled across the state gobblying up every Democrat
in sight.
But Mr. Brown did better than most. He lost by 30 votes.
It was close enough to warrant a recount which he requested.
When they counted again, he reduced the already razor-thin margin
to 18 and had he been able to count another 10,000 votes, he might have
won.
So you're asking, How come he didn't count them?
You are bright. Good question.
The law said he could not because the local election officials,
somehow, someway, did not secure the ballot boxes. Some were left wide
open. Others were fastened on one side but not the other and state
election law is much clear: You can't count votes unless they were
sealed and protected from any tampering.
Brown laments as he states the obvious, "I think there was some
sloppiness."
Ya think?
In all some 19 precincts or one-third of his house district were
not recountable including his home town where there's a darn could
chance he could have picked up enough votes to win.
"There's certainly that belief," he confides to whomever will
listen.
Well apparently some local election folks were not listening when
the rules were explained on how to secure ballots and as a result a
reasonable, dedicated lawmaker is history.
Pass another clothes pin please.