The Michigan Board of State Canvassers has rejected a petition to recall Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop.
In its decision Friday morning, the board split 2 to 2 on approving the petition, which means it fails.
The language in the petition was deemed insufficient to warrant a recall.
Organizers of the recall effort cited the Bureau of Elections' suspension of Bishop’s access to the Qualified Voter File (QVF), a database of registered voters.
During deliberations, members of the State Board of Canvassers suggested that a recall petition needs to focus on the actions of an elected official – not simply the outcome of those actions.
See the original petition to recall here.
Ashley Areeda, who filed the petition, argued that grassroots organizers should be allowed to gather signatures to hold a recall election even if the language isn’t perfect.
Still, she said that she’s undeterred by the setback.
See Bishop's rebuttal to the petition here.
“This is grassroots organizing, and it’s rarely a straight line,” Areeda told IPR. “We are not lawyers, we are just a group of community members. So, we listened, we know what needs to be clarified, and we will resubmit on Monday.”
Kevin Kijewski, the lawyer representing Bishop, said the Board of Canvassers upheld the letter of the law.
“The State Board of Canvassers really has one goal and that is to make sure the petition’s wording is sufficient,” Kijewski told IPR. “And the language was not approved. The bottom line – Michigan law was applied and consistently followed today. And that’s a victory no matter what someone’s political persuasion may be.”
The Board of Canvassers will have 20 days to schedule a new hearing once the revised petition language is submitted.
The Bureau of Elections has said Bishop exceeded her legal authority when she changed the status of numerous voters in the QVF, including canceling some voters.
Bishop has denied making changes and has refused to answer information requests from the Bureau of Elections.
