Resident challenges vote that OK'd recreational marijuana businesses in Meridian Township
Clarification: There was a 12-vote margin in Meridian Township's recreational marijuana establishment proposal after the Ingham County Board of Canvassers certified the election.
MERIDIAN TWP. — The future of recreational marijuana establishments in Meridian Township might be a little hazier after a recount was requested for a proposal that recently passed to allow them in the township.
On Tuesday, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum said Carla Galligan had filed the request asking for the recount for the August primary vote. The recount is for all 44 of the township's precincts, 22 in-person and 22 absentee.
The proposal that allows the establishment of marijuana businesses in the township passed by a narrow margin, 12 votes. The official election summary results for the proposal were 6,146 yes votes to prohibit marijuana businesses and 6,158 no votes to defeat the proposal and allow recreational marijuana establishments in the township.
Galligan, who is listed as an Okemos resident in public records, was not immediately available for comment.
Byrum said Galligan had to pay $25 per precinct for 44 precincts, a total of $1,100.
However, that will not cover the costs of the recount, which Byrum estimated to be about $13,000 between paying 44 people to recount, four canvassers, a sheriff’s office deputy and food.
Ingham County will conduct the recount and Meridian Township will reimburse the county, Byrum said.
She said the state Board of Canvassers will potentially certify the election results on Friday. If that happens the recount could happen in early September.
Byrum said she doubts the vote results will change with the recount due to the voting machines' accuracy and the "yes" or "no" proposal making it easier to recount and decreasing the possibility for human error.
“The likelihood of the results changing is not high,” she said.
Meridian Township Manager Frank Walsh said the unexpected $13,000 bill will come out of the township’s general fund.
He believes the vote will stand, but all votes matter and it’s important there is an accurate count at the end of this process, he said.
“What matters at the end of the day is that all votes have been counted and we have the official results,” he said.
Another opt-in recreational marijuana proposal petition had been submitted to the township recently, but the township’s counsel ruled the petition invalid and the petitioners asked it be withdrawn, Walsh said in an email Monday.
Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Recount requested for Meridian Twp. recreational marijuana initiative
