County Clerk Completes Audit of West Bloomfield Election Results

Updated: Aug. 8, 8:11 p.m.

The Oakland County Clerk's office completed an audit of Aug. 7 primary votes in West Bloomfield Thursday after some absentee ballots were noted as missing on Tuesday.

Election results were delayed to early Wednesday morning after Township Clerk Cathy Shaughnessy notified local and county police, as well as the county clerk's office, when a "stack" of 44 absentee ballots representing were noted as misplaced by absentee ballot workers.

The ballots were found later that same night, Shaughnessy explained early Wednesday morning. County Elections Director Joe Rozell said that the audit found no evidence of impropriety on the part of the township.

"The law requires us to count them all in one day ... and we got a boatload in today. I'm sure (absentee ballot workers) were overwhelmed," she said. "The theft of our memory cards has been a concern all along, but the integrity of this election remained secure."

Shaughnessy refers to a July incident in which from the clerk's office.  investigation remains ongoing; Police Chief Michael Patton noted no signs of forced entry to the area.

Rozell pointed out that while results remain unofficial until another review is completed later this month, none of the races on precinct ballots were decided by 44 votes or less.

Residents there voted in races including the , the , and the .

Shaughnessy estimated that of 8,600 absentee ballots delivered, 7,600 were returned.