Petitions cite six specific voter cancellations in Manallona Township and list exact dates

Director Brader read the four petitions aloud at the Sept. 25 meeting, identifying the central allegations: across petitions, the same six Manallona Township voter records were changed to 'cancel' on Jan. 9, Jan. 13, Jan. 23, Jan. 27, Jan. 29 and April 16, 2026. The petitions differ slightly in wording: Petition 2 adds that the township clerks responsible for those records had not requested the cancellations; petitions 3 and 4 present closed lists of six changes.

As Director Brader read one petition verbatim: "Between July 24th, 2025, and June 3, 2026, Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop changed several voter status codes in the qualified voter file to cancel." Petitioners and board counsel emphasized the difference between a petition that ambiguously references processes and the petitions here, which the board characterized as identifying specific actors, dates and actions. The petitions' focus on a narrow set of records and dates was central to the board's finding that three versions met the clarity standard.

Board discussion noted one contested factual claim referenced in filings — that an April 16 change involved a deceased voter — and observed that Michigan law treats initiation of a deceased-voter process and the final cancellation differently; the board said a legal defense about why a change occurred does not by itself make petition language unclear. The board's role at this hearing was limited to whether the petitions' wording was sufficiently precise to let voters decide the merits later in the recall process.