KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — The Emily mystery continues. Practically every Clerk in Michigan has been petitioned through the Freedom of Information Act to copy and hand over all the ballots from the 2016 presidential election in Michigan. Many have sent letters back to the mysterious Emily demanding partial payment for costs. Some have required they fill out more complete applications. Oshtemo Township Clerk Dusty Farmer says they have not heard back from them after asking for cash, more specifics on what they want, and the reason for the request.
She says it would cost her office $7000 to $10000 or more, depending on whether the wanted a digital copy or paper copies. Farmer says they sat down to figure out how much it would cost statewide at 10-cents per copy and she figures it would cost $700,000 or more. Some clerks say because copying a 19-inch ballot would be so much more expensive, they may charge more. Several clerks suggested that Emily showed little sophistication in understanding how the election process works, and that there may be easier and less expensive ways to get the data they are looking for, depending on what it is they are actually trying to do.
Farmer says she has never received any FOIA request that would be as difficult and disruptive to her operation as this one would be. She says she has complied as far as the law demands and is now waiting for a response from “Emily”.
She says there are only two people on staff who would be authorized to handle ballots and it would take Oshtemo 12-weeks to comply.
Clerks in larger communities would need even more time and manpower.
Speculation is running wild. Is it a plot by Boris and Natasha just to disrupt the mid-term?
Is someone just testing the willingness of clerks to comply with FOIA?
No other states, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which also had narrow Trump wins are seeing such a bombardment of FOIA requests. Just Michigan.
The purpose of the whole thing continues to perplex and frustrate clerks who hope it will go away.
