Local citizen says someone voted twice
"At the August meeting a citizen came forward and read a statement relative to some irregularities in the processing of absentee ballots," says Norman Township Supervisor Brooks Shafer. An investigation is underway in Norman Township in Manistee County after a citizen claims someone voted twice in the August 5th primary election. "And had provided him with absentee ballots, campaign material and it allowed him to vote not one but there was two ballots involved," says Shafer. Brooks Shafer says he took that information to Manistee County Prosecutor Ford Stone. "There were allegations that people had gone to voters in their homes and asked them whether they wanted absentee ballots. So those are the kind of things we're looking into...there were allegations that the clerk had improperly deputized another person to pass out or obtain absentee ballots. So that's one of the allegations that's involved here," says Stone.
Norman Township Clerk Mary Soule, who is in charge of handing out absentee ballots, declined to go on camera. However Soule told Seven and Four News that she has not done anything illegal. She says she only gave absentee ballots to those who were supposed to get them. Meanwhile the Township Supervisor says Soule will remain the Township Clerk for Tuesdays general election. But the Manistee County Prosecutor says he has turned this case over to the Attorney Generals Office. "There needs to be integrity involved in the process and if that's being violated then we need to take corrective action," says Stone.
