UPDATE as of 9:53 a.m. on 11/27/24: According to the Leelanau County clerk's office, the recount confirmed the existing results; Will Bunek won the seat by six votes and will serve as county commissioner.
Leelanau County will hold a recount in the race for a seat on its Board of Commissioners.
Democrat Lois Bahle requested a recount in her race against Republican Will Bunek, who is winning by just six votes.
The recount will begin Tuesday morning, according to the Leelanau County clerk’s office. It will be conducted by hand, following a standard procedure where each ballot is sorted, counted and verified by a team of two canvassers.
The closeness of this race “just shows you how every vote counts,” said Bunek, who plans to observe the recount tomorrow.
The result of this race flipped a few days after Election Day, when previously unreported votes were discovered during canvassing.
Bahle could not be reached immediately for comment, but she told IPR earlier this month she planned to request a recount since she "owed it to her constituents who supported [her]."
Bunek says if his win holds, he will focus first on reducing the county’s budget, which has increased in the past two years. If his victory holds, he’ll return to the board after being recalled in 2022.
Four Republicans and three Democrats won seats, as of the latest count. This recount will either confirm, or flip, that Republican majority.
County Clerk Michelle Crocker expects the process to wrap up by Tuesday evening.
