Hartland school board seat decided by draw after tie vote at the polls
A school board candidate in Hartland Township said he is considering requesting a recount after he lost a draw Friday to break a tie vote at the polls.
Incumbent Michelle Hemeyer and first-time candidate Greg Keller both received 5,264 votes, good for a tie for third in a race for three seats on the Hartland Board of Education, according to unofficial Livingston County election results.
On Friday, the Livingston County Board of Canvassers confirmed the tie and conducted a tiebreaker, in accordance with state election law. Hemeyer drew a piece of paper that indicated she was "elected," while Keller drew "not elected."
The county's election results have not been certified yet. Once they are certified by the county, either candidate will have six days to request a recount.
Keller says he is considering requesting a recount. Hemeyer says she is preparing for such an event.
"The race couldn’t be any closer," Keller told Livingston Daily on Monday. "I’m obviously looking at all options at this point," he said.
While he said he has not made a final decision, he is accepting donations that would go toward filing and attorney fees associated with a recount.
In order to file a petition requesting a recount of the school board seat race, a candidate would have to put down a $25 deposit for each precinct and another $25 to recount absentee votes in each precinct. The school district covers 12 voting precincts, amounting to a $600 upfront deposit.
Deposits are refunded to petitioning candidates if the recount changes the outcome of the election, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's summary of the recount process.
"This is my first toe dipping into the world of politics, so, to have your first taste of it end in a tie, I would have made money on it if it were a bet in Vegas," Keller said. "I'm not 100% sure what I’m going to do. I think (requesting a recount) is the only option for me at this point."
He said he decided to run for school board because he is a parent in the district and was unhappy with how the district was being run.
Hemeyer said she is "formulating a plan" to prepare for a recount.
"I know he’s going to ask for a recount," she said. "We'll be able to take a deep breath once that phase is over.
"I’m pleased with the fact that I’ve been elected. I've been doing this for seven years. I didn't want to stop doing it, because I love servicing the community so much in this way," she said.
She said she is happy the tie has resulted in more attention from local voters on how elections work.
"I think the public, the community as a whole, feels very invested in this election," she said. "This is the third time I’ve run for this seat, and it’s been unprecedented community involvement in a school board. We’re always saying to children how important it is to get out and vote. This is a story we can tell forever that every vote counts."
Livingston County Clerk Elizabeth Hundley she expects the county Board of Canvassers to finish certifying results at the county level sometime this week.
"We have more of the canvass process to go through, but if the aggrieved candidate wants to seek a recount they can request it once it's certified by the canvassers," Hundley said.
Nine candidates were vying for three seats on the school board.
The other two seats were won by Glenn Gogoleski, who received 5,453 votes, and incumbent Meghan Glabach, who was reelected with 5,413 votes.
Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Hartland school board seat decided by draw after tie vote at the polls
