Several of our LWVGP members, along with other LWV members from Wayne County, observed the meetings of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers following the November 8 election.
Judy Florian, LWVGP member who serves as the VP for Voter Services for LWV of Michigan, shared these observations of the process.
Perspective from a Board of Canvassers Observer Judy Florian
I served as an observer at the Wayne County Board of Canvassers meetings on November 15 and 16. The purpose of the Board was to certify the election results for all jurisdictions in Wayne County. The canvassers convened in a workroom in the Wayne County Clerk’s Office in the Ralph Vigliotti Building on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit.
During my shift, I observed the following:
- A large number of staff working very hard reviewing paperwork from precincts
- Republican and Democratic canvassing board members working side by side reviewing ballots, tabulator tapes and poll books to assist with those precincts out of balance.
- An open meeting to certify 8 jurisdictions that have an earlier certification dates than Wayne County. This certification was for local races and proposals. All were approved unanimously.
- Local clerks in discussion with the Wayne County Director of Elections as it related to issues with their precincts.
I was very impressed with the large number of people working and the cooperative nature and dedication among the workers to get the job done. The Canvassing board members worked very well together and took their work very seriously. They were totally dedicated to getting things done so that certification could take place on November 22.
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Below is a pic of the Canvasser’s checklist, and here is the link to a PDF of the same document: County Canvass Checklist
