Why was this race important?
Voting problems in Detroit probably cost Democrats in Michigan the presidential election in 2016. The current Detroit City Clerk has a history of not being able to train her employees to handle routine issues. Polls open late, people with disabilities are not accommodated properly. Her office’s trainings do not cover even basic things that every poll worker should know. For instance, in Michigan, a picture ID is not required, but poll workers regularly turn voters away from voting if the voters do not have a picture ID.
Nationally, we need every vote in Detroit, and Garlin Gilchrist is still committed to fixing those voting issues.
“Our group, Support the Dream Defenders, chose to support Garlin Gilchrist for the position of Detroit City Clerk, as we thought he was the best candidate for that very important job. Our own 2thanks did — and continues to do — a remarkable job working for Garlin and keeping us up to date on all news having to do with the campaign.” (JoanMar)
Certification: The incumbent remains the victor in the race
“A ballot recount that started Tuesday in the hotly contested Detroit City Clerk's race was certified Friday by the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, affirming that incumbent Janice Winfrey remains the victor in the race.” (Detroit Free Press, 12/08/2017)
“State must oversee Winfrey’s operation”
The editorial board of the conservative Detroit News called for state involvement:
“The irony of the inability to complete a legitimate recount of the Detroit City clerk election is that the screw-ups that tainted so many ballots were among the best reasons Clerk Janice Winfrey should have been unseated in the first place.
Winfrey’s inability to manage an error-free election is disenfranchising Detroit voters.” Editorial, 12/14/2017
- 28% of the precincts sampled at the request of Garlin Gilchrist could not be recounted for various reasons.
- Sealed ballot boxes contained far fewer ballots than was reported in the official tally.
- Seals were broken or boxes were unsecured, making ballots inside ineligible for a recount.
- Similar problems occurred in the 2016 presidential election. At that time a recount of Michigan was started and subsequently stopped. That recount could not proceed because many Detroit ballots were spoiled.
The Detroit News suggests the following:
- The Michigan Secretary of State “should put the incumbent and her staff through a thorough training program.
- She should be given a clear checklist of what must be done to protect the integrity of an election.
- On Election Day, the state should deploy trained workers to help assure the Detroit staff gets it right.” (Detroit News)
Thanks again!
Once again, thanks to many, many readers and members of Support the Dream Defenders who supported our stories and continue to support our efforts to ensure that the votes of all Detroiters are properly counted.
We rest
It’s been a long year. Many of us have stepped up and devoted ourselves to Resisting in ways we never imagined.
Members of Support the Dream Defenders will take our usual 3 Fridays off for end-of-year rest: December 22, December 29, and January 5. We will see you again in the second week of the new year.
Power with, not power over,