Update: Antrim County has released new unofficial results that show Donald Trump took 56 percent of the vote Tuesday. Other Republicans near the top of the ticket did better than the President. Senate candidate John James received 57 percent of the vote and Congressman Jack Bergman took 60 percent. County officials say the initial problems with the count stemmed from a procedural error on Election night.
There may be a problem with Antrim County’s ballots. According to unofficial results posted by the county clerk, democrats in several races got the majority of votes there.
As of 9:30 this morning, Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden had more than 7,700 votes in the county, 3,000 more than President Donald Trump. Democratic candidates Gary Peters and Dana Ferguson also outperformed their Republican opponents in the county.
That has Triston Cole (R-Mancelona), who lives and represents Antrim County in the Michigan State House, confused.
“There is no way that we flipped from 62 percent Trump in 2016 to upside-down this time around,” he said.
Cole specifically cited the results at his polling place: Chestonia Township. Antrim County’s election results show Representative Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) only got 2 votes.
“I can guarantee that there were 6 [Bergman votes] in my immediate family alone,” he said.
Cole says GOP officials have been talking all morning about the county’s results. He says legal action may be taken, but much is still uncertain.
As of 10 a.m., the election results page on the county has since been taken down.
A representative from the Antrim County Clerk’s office said they weren’t aware of any discrepancies, but added county clerks are talking to polling and election officials to get the most accurate and up-to-date information to voters.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was asked about the Antrim County returns, but didn’t comment.
“I’ll let the pundits and the people looking closely at the data and the results of different elections make those analyses,” she said.
IPR may update this story as it develops.
