KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — There is a problem with the absentee ballots in at least one Kalamazoo Township precinct and it has prompted calls for an investigation from black democrats.
County Board Candidate Veronica McKissack reported the error to Township Clerk Mark Miller when her neighbor noticed that her name was not on her absentee ballot. Mail-in voting is currently underway.
McKissack says for a candidate, this is a huge concern. She is running in the August Primary against fellow Democrat Chris Pomeroy for a spot on the November ballot.
She says she has been told Miller is already working to fix the problem.
Stephanie Moore with the Black Democrats Caucus says at a time when there are more members of the black and brown community on the ballot, they are disturbed by this kind of disenfranchisement.
“What is even more inexcusable, is that this is a Democrat clerk who did not catch the error in Kalamazoo Township. Instead, a candidate had to call him and inform him of his error after the Ballots have gone out. There is a colossal failure with not only protecting the integrity of our election system, but also ensuring there’s trust on the part of those who willingly are putting themselves out here as candidates, especially those who are African American.”
Miller is also planning to review other precinct ballots to make sure that there were no other errors made in the process.
(John McNeill contributed to this article)
