Birmingham ballot recount delayed one week

The recount of election returns from the city of Birmingham November 2 city commission election has been postponed until next Tuesday, November 30, according to the Oakland County Clerk's Election Division.

The recount, which will be performed at the county clerk's office, was originally scheduled for Tuesday of this week, November 23.

Notice of the postponement was issued to city commission candidate Anthony Long on Monday morning, November 22. Long had lost the city commission race by only six votes to candidate Andrew Haig. Long filed for the recount with the county on Tuesday, November 9, following the certification of the election by the Oakland County Board of Canvassers.

Seven candidates ran to fill three open seats on the seven member Birmingham City Commission on Tuesday, November 2. Katie Schafer, Elaine McLain and Andrew Haig were the top vote getters, and were sworn into office at the commission meeting on Monday, November 8.

Haig received 2,340 votes, or 16.96 percent of votes cast, while Long received 2,334 votes, for 16.92 percent of the vote.

“I felt I deserved it to myself, as well as to the voters, to file for a recount. Never in the history of Birmingham have they had a vote this close,” Long said. “With these results being within the margin of error, I have requested a recount of the ballots. I fully trust the process, and will accept the results of the recount, regardless of the outcome.”

There were 4,511 absentee ballots certified and about 1,500 in-person ballots certified from the November 2 election.

Once a recount petition is received, the board of canvassers must complete the recount within an approximate 13-day window.

“I think anyone in my position would do the same thing,” Long has said in the past. “I will respect whatever the decision of the recount is.”