“2024 Election Michigan Precinct Issues: Report From Michigan Election Inspector”

See something, say something…right? Well I’m reporting what I saw and things that happened that leave me asking more questions than having clear answers. I am writing this in response to my live interactive conversation with Naomi and Emerald during their election night coverage on their show. 

I have worked elections in Michigan. This was my second election in 2024 that I worked. I worked at the same precinct in my town that I had previously worked in the City of Battle Creek, Calhoun County, State of Michigan. The location that I worked housed three separate precincts, 5, 11 & 20. I was working at precinct 11. The day was steady and busy at times. Things went rather smoothly until late in the afternoon and early evening.

Around 4:35pm I noticed the line of voters waiting to place their ballots in the Dominion tabulator at my precinct starting to back up. I continued to process voters and issue ballots. I looked up and at approx 4:45pm I noticed that ballots were being manually placed in the auxiliary bin of the tabulator. Meaning that ballots were not being fed into the tabulator and electronically read. The auxiliary bin has to be unlocked with a key by an election inspector and ballots physically placed in there. This bin is supposed to be reserved for use if there is a power outage issue. There was no power outage. This went on for about 25 minutes. I asked the chairperson what happened and why the auxiliary bin was being used. They told me that somehow the tabulator had gone down and shut off. No one knew why. 

It took about 15 minutes to power the tabulator back up. Once the tabulator was powered back up the chairperson then had to make sure the tabulator count matched the number of voter count/ballots cast prior to it going down. Meaning if there were 500 ballots cast when the tabulator went down, the count had to balance and match the same when it came back up 15 minutes later. The chairperson informed me that the machine did balance and our ballot/voter counts matched when the machine came back up.

This issue made me uneasy. We had no idea what happened during the time the tabulator was “down.” We do not have any idea if the votes cast for the various candidates matched. We can only go based on the fact that the tabulator number matched the number of ballots cast. There were also voters who were suspicious and questioning if their vote would be counted when they saw their ballot being placed in the auxiliary bin. And rightfully so in their defense. 

After that the evening progressed and the 5pm after work rush started. Ballots were being cast and then at about 6;45pm, the tabulator went down AGAIN! The chairperson called city hall to inform the clerks and they were telling us it was most likely due to a  paper jam caused by write-in ballots. The chairperson opened the ballot access door and confirmed there was NOT a paper jam at all. There were very few write-in ballots. Plus, my understanding was if there was a paper jam of any sort, that would be displayed on the ballot tabulator screen. There was no such message displayed to my knowledge. Again, after a short time the tabulator came back up and our ballot count was balanced. 

Then during the closing of the polls at 8pm, one of the major duties that we have to do is print THREE separate poll tapes from the tabulator. The poll tapes print each individual race, each candidate and the results of each race and any results of any ballot proposals. In a large Presidential election with many races federal, state, local and others, these poll tapes are many feet long. The first two tapes printed, no issues.

 Upon printing the third poll tape, the tabulator ran out of tape. I asked if we had any more tape and if there was a process to change the tape as there is a red plastic numbered seal that locks the tape chamber on the tabulator and would have to be broken. The chairperson checked and was able to find a small roll of tape in our supply bin. We then got assistance from another poll worker in precinct 5 to assist us in changing the tape. We documented everything including the seal being broken and we were able to change the tape and print the third and final poll tape. 

I continued to assist in the duties of closing the poll when some asked if there was any more tape for the tabulator as precinct 20 tabulator ran out of tape and they were unable to print their closing poll tapes. No one had any extra poll tape. Since my precinct was done printing all the tapes from the tabulator and since the seal has already been broken the chairperson of my precinct told me to just pull the roll of tape from our tabulator and assist precinct 20 in changing their tape. 

I proceed to go to the next room over where precinct 20 was located and assist them in changing their poll tape. When I approached the tabulator of precinct 20 I noticed the seal of the tabulator tape chamber was missing.I asked the chairperson if they had broken the seal. They informed me there was no seal. I said WHAT?!?! They then told me that when their tabulator went down at 7:30 am they were brought a new tabulator and that tabulator didn’t have a seal and the votes were transferred from the tabulator that went down to the new tabulator that was brought to them. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and witnessing. I then assisted them in changing the tabulator tape so they could print the closing tapes and then I returned to my precinct in the next room to complete my duties in closing the polls. 

I left with an uneasy feeling knowing what I had witnessed and experienced the precinct I was working in.Just hours before, I raised my hand and swore an Oath to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Michigan, upon performing my duties working the polls at my assigned precinct, and I feel I would be failing upholding that oath if I didn’t report what had happened. 

Do I think any of my fellow poll workers did anything nefarious? Absolutely not. 

I think we all handled things to the best of our ability and with the utmost integrity and in accordance to the training we received. However, what I am reporting and wanting people to know is there are things that happen that are beyond our control as election workers. We are only able to do things on the ‘front’ end to ensure the election goes as smoothly as possible and citizens are allowed to cast their ballots. 

Do I know why the tabulators went down multiple times at my precinct? No,I do not. 

Do I know what happened in the time the tabulators went down and came back up? No, I do not. 

As an election worker I do not have access to the things that happen on the “back-end.” Meaning the software and codes. I have no idea what caused the tabulators to stop working and shut-down. I have no ability to know if votes were changed or anything may or may not have been altered. And this, my fellow citizens, is precisely the danger of having electronically run elections with machines, software and source codes. 

It appears the issue I experienced at my precinct isnt the only questionable election issue to take place in the City of Battle Creek. According to the Detroit Free Press, there was an issue with thousands of early voting ballots not being tabulated properly which could possibly throw the House race of the Michigan 44th District between Jim Haadsma- D and Steve Frisbie-R. 

This is just one example of why we need election reform bills passed across the country and especially in my state of Michigan. Having been on the front lines working elections, I have no problem doing my duty as a true patriotic American citizen in offering my testimony to any elected official, in any state in any level of government, to help with these very important issues surrounding elections. I sincerely hope, with any new, incoming administration, that these issues are addressed. 

We as citizens deserve better transparency, safety and security surrounding our elections. Hopefully with Trump, having been declared the winner of the 2024 election, and him bringing many bright minds into his administration including Elon Musk, I see no reason why this issue cannot be resolved before any future elections take place. 

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Autumn Smith is a citizen journalist & activist from Michigan. She has previously written for Dr. Naomi Wolf, Daily Clout 1.0, PaleoRadio & ROJS News & Radio. She has been cited, cross-posted, & featured in the Guardian UK, Al Jazeera English, and a segment of RT News. Through Autumn’s investigative journalism, she exposed systematic corruption that permeated throughout her local police department and city hall. As a result, multiple high ranking city & police personnel resigned, retired, were fired or sought employment elsewhere. Autumn’s journalistic efforts were met with retaliation by the very state actors she had been reporting on & she was jailed & prosecuted twice as a result. Autumn was mentored throughout her exposing of police corruption by NYPD Det. Frank Serpico. Autumn was active during the 2010 Enbridge Oil Spill, and exposed the illegal liability waivers Enbridge was tricking residents into signing. Autumn was the petitioner for the recall of the Michigan Speaker of the House in 2011. She self represented in court & prevailed against the most powerful law firm in Michigan & a former Michigan Assistant Attorney General. 

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