MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — It's rare, but elections do occasionally end in a tie.
That was the case following a recount of the race for Republican nominee for Trustee in Holton Township from the Aug. 4 primary.
Initial results showed Chris Thompsen the top Republican candidate with 165 votes. It seemed Brian Norton would also go through to the general election with 157 votes. Incumbent candidate Tammy Jager finished third with 156 votes.
"And I wasn't originally going to do anything," Jager said Wednesday at the Muskegon County Hall of Justice. "But a lot of people contacted me, they had placed the vote in me, and encouraged me to do the recount."
During a recount the Muskegon County Board of Canvassers found one vote for Jager the vote tabulator didn't count.
"The machine apparently didn't pick it up,"Jager said.
Muskegon County Board of Canvassers Chairperson Pat Camp was at the recount. She and others on the board reviewed the ballot that the machine didn't count, and agreed it should be counted as a vote for Jager.
Camp says the voter only lightly filled in the space next to Jager's name.
"It's very important that it's completely filled out," Camp said.
The additional vote resulted in a tie between Jager and Norton, each with 157 votes.
"And isn't that amazing," Camp said. The Muskegon County Board of Canvassers meet Wednesday to decide the race by a drawing as Michigan election law calls for.
Election officials with the Muskegon County Clerk's office placed two slip of paper inside a small box. One piece of paper included "nominated" the other "not nominated."
Incumbent Jager drew "nominated" from the box and moves on to the Nov. general election along with Chris Thompson.
"It's heart warming I guess because I really like serving the people of Holton, I've thought that I've done a great job," Jager said.
Camp says it's another example of what she tells voters time and time again.
"Every single vote counts," Camp said.
She also want's voters participating in the general election to take their time when voting. "Don't rush," Camp said. And if you do make a mistake, she says just ask for a new ballot.
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