Voting machine missing after Michigan clerk stripped of election power

[demmiblue]

LANSING — Michigan officials say they are preparing to launch a criminal investigation after election equipment at the center of a voting tabulator conspiracy theory went missing this week in a rural, conservative community.

Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott, a Republican whose social media has included QAnon memes, had refused to allow a vendor to conduct routine maintenance on a Hart Intercivic Inc. voting machine.

Hillsdale County Clerk Marney Kast, a fellow Republican who the state tasked with running the local election instead of Scott, told Bridge Michigan her office attempted to retrieve the Adams Township equipment earlier this week but was unable to locate the tablet, which she described as the “brains” of the machine.

"I don't know where it's at or if it's been tampered with," Kast said.

Scott, the Adams Township clerk, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday from Bridge.

In a rare move, the Michigan Bureau of Elections this week stripped Scott of her election administration authority, accusing the first-term clerk of refusing to fulfill her “legal responsibilities” and spreading misinformation about the tabulators used in Hillsdale County.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/voting-machine-missing-after-michigan-clerk-stripped-election-power

[canuckledragger]

1. Trying to hide the evidence.

[multigraincracker]

2. Hillsdale County.

Enough said. Magat Capital of the state. I use to live in the county next door.

[gibraltar72]

4. I still do live in Hillsdale County.

the home of Midvale College. Quite the subject of discussion. This coming election was for the kids a millage request. The Nazis have taken over the county party.

[paleotn]

8. Every state's got one...or more...

Ours is called Essex County, VT.

[turbinetree]

3. So if I was taxpayer in said state and someone misplaced them or they were missing

would that not constitute theft of officially paid for machines by said taxpayers....because grand theft is still grand theft.....just lock her ass up....

[JohnnyRingo]

5. Wow! This is just crazy

We've always had partisanship, but our election officials took their responsibilities seriously.

It's as though an orange mental disease has descended upon the land causing people to act irrationally.
I'm tired of slapping their wrists.

[ZERTErYNOthe]

6. Not moving to Michigan

I have been considering moving permanently to Michigan to be close to family. I already spend a lot of time there, and have for most of my life, but after stories like this, and the one about the Kent County health director being run off the road, and so many others .... well, I've cancelled plans to move back. I won't be a part of their economy. It feels bad, but staying where I am is now a better option.

[DownriverDem]

9. Those are

very red parts of the state. You could live where it's blue.

[ShazzieB]

11. I feel the same way about staying in Illinois.

There are states with a lower cost of living, but most of them are red, and the way those states have handled covid has convinced me that moving to any of them would not be worth the risks.

When it comes down to it, I like living in a blue state. Not having to fend off maskholes every time I go out in public is a nice perk, but it goes way beyond that..

Sort of the opposite to you situation, but I think you can see the parallel.

[DownriverDem]

7. Parts of

the state are very red and batshit trumper crazy.

[Harker]

10. I wonder how widespread the criminality is.

This isn't the first story of this ilk.

[keithbvadu2]

12. I do NOT trust voting machines.

I do NOT trust voting machines.

Too easily hacked.

Proprietary software.

Cellphone modems in some of them

No printer for hard copy backup
......... Too expensive? BS on that!

-----------------

PAPER ballots all the way!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Simple solution: buy a new tablet to replace the stolen one.

Trust me: you do not want the old one back. If it shows up, shred it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. Statement on the recovery of Adams Township missing election equipment

Link to tweet