Little Traverse Township clerk bound over to Circuit Court in voter influence case
CHARLEVOIX — Little Traverse Township Clerk Sherry Duntley was bound over to Circuit Court last month for attempting to influence voters’ preferences on three ballot proposals in the 2022 election cycle.
Duntley had been arraigned in March on one felony count of common law offenses, which could result in a $10,000 fine and/or five years in prison, and one misdemeanor count of willful neglect of duty that could result in a $1,000 fine and/or up to one year in jail.
In an August preliminary examination, Judge Angela Lasher of the 90th District Court in Charlevoix County found there was sufficient evidence of Duntley's attempts to influence voters against voting for the three 2022 ballot initiatives, most notably the one that legalized abortion in the state of Michigan.
Duntley’s attorney Mary Beth Kur maintains her client's innocence, previously stating, “My client is a dedicated public servant who has worked tirelessly at her job as clerk, in very difficult time, i.e. the pandemic. The felony charge in this case has devastated her and we will defend it vigorously in a court of law."
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As a local elected official, clerks are responsible for keeping voter registration files and conducting elections. An important component in this job is the ability to maintain political neutrality while administering the voting process.
“Such behavior (Duntley's behavior) allegedly violated a lawful instruction from the Secretary of State, compelling election officials to refrain from expressing their personal opinions on issues that are concurrently up for vote on already-distributed ballots across the state,” Michigan State Attorney General Spokesperson Kimberly Bush said in a public statement when the charges were brought.
According to the state, the complaints were made to the Michigan Department of State by two women who were township citizens who had asked for information regarding absentee ballots.
One of the citizens, Louisa Miller, claimed that Duntley advised her to read the ballot initiatives carefully because they were confusingly worded. Specifically, saying that Proposal 3, the abortion initiative, is complicated enough that it in essence allows a woman "up to one month after the birth of her child to murder the baby."
The other citizen, Suzanne Seacord, also said that Duntley attempted to sway her vote by explaining the abortion proposal would change the Michigan Constitution and that was a bad thing.
As of publication, Duntley is headed to trial if she doesn't reach a plea deal. The court is still in the process of scheduling the upcoming court dates.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231) 675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Little Traverse Township clerk bound over to Circuit Court in voter influence case
