MUSKEGON, Mich. — Modem connection issues at four precincts in the city of Muskegon had supports on both sides of the Muskegon mayoral race scratching their heads late Tuesday evening as polls in the city closed.
At 9:36 p.m. the Muskegon County election dashboard showed with 100-percent of precincts reporting incumbent Muskegon Mayor Stephen Gawron received 1,466 votes to challenger Ken Johnson's 1,225.
Muskegon County Clerk Nancy Waters tells 13 ON YOUR SIDE when the report was run and posted at 9:36 p.m. it didn't include in-person votes from four precincts in the city of Muskegon. Waters says because four precincts couldn't send in results encrypted thumb drives with the data had to be hand-delivered to the County Clerk's office by the Muskegon City Clerk.
The delay was between a half-hour to full-hour. Waters says that alone wouldn't have caused an issue, but as the data was being hand-delivered to the county clerk's office the absentee portion of the precincts were uploaded which caused the county’s GIS election dashboard to report 12 of 12 precincts reporting.
Additional reports were posted during the evening, and the correct but unofficial results posted after 10:00 p.m. show Johnson received 2,272 votes to Gawron's 2,147.
"We were all doing what was to be done," Waters said. "We did not expect modems to not be working. Unfortunately with trees and with locations they're not able to do as well as we had hoped."
Waters says modem connections at all of Muskegon's precincts were tested last Thursday and all performed as expected.
"We had no problem with the city of Muskegon," she said.
Water says the county's IT staff will examine the reporting software and find a way to prevent the issue from happening in the future elections.
Johnson will take over as Muskegon Mayor on Jan. 1 after serving eight years as a city commissioner.
"I'm grateful for my city's and my resident's trust in me," Johnson said. "We knew that we performed very strongly with day-of voters. We felt confident that we were going to win. And so I'm looking forward to us working together as elected officials with our very competent, qualified and creative city staff."
Mayor Gawron was elected to the city commission in 2002. He was first elected Mayor in 2013.
"It's time to move on and give an opportunity for a new commission," Gawron said. "I can hold my head high, for the very hard work I have done with some marvelous partners. 20 years of friendships, love and support. I go into my next chapter proud and filled with joy."
The results of all of the races in Muskegon County remain "unofficial" until Thursday afternoon when the county's board of canvassers will meet and certify the election results.
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