SYSTEM AT WORK

Here’s a life lesson for those who buy into the conspiracy theories that our elections are rigged. Incumbent Oakland County Commissioner Adam Kochenderfer (R-Rochester Hills, Rochester), after the votes were reported on Tuesday, November 3, thought he had lost by 104 votes to Democratic challenger Melanie Hartman. Two days later he got called by Oakland Director of Elections Joe Rozell (from the office of Democrat Oakland Clerk Lisa Brown), who informed him that a computer glitch in the office of Republican Rochester Hills Clerk Tina Barton (who lost her 2020 run for county clerk against Brown) had led the city to report some duplicate figures to the county on the night of the election. The county clerk’s office had canvassed voting returns and caught the error in seven precincts and made the necessary adjustments. The final tally – Kochenderfer actually won by 1,127 votes or 51.67 percent of ballots cast.