Following a review of several outstanding ballots, the Tuscola County Board of Canvassers certified that Cass City School District’s bond was in fact approved by just two votes.
Via a press release, the Tuscola County Board of Canvassers shared that they met last Tuesday, May 5, to certify the election results for the Cass City School District and Mayville Community Schools elections. Prior to certification, the Board had to review several outstanding ballots that required resolution before the statutory deadline, such as Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) ballots anticipated from Fremont Township and Novesta Township. These specific MOVE ballots were not received by the deadline and therefore were not considered by the Board of Canvassers.
Additionally, one outstanding signature cure ballot in Elkland Township was successfully rectified by the voter prior to the deadline, allowing that ballot to be accepted and included in the final vote totals.
Other developments dealt with last Tuesday included the Elkland Township Clerk discovering over the weekend that eight absentee voter ballots had been secured appropriately, but were inadvertently not delivered to the precinct for processing on Election Day. Upon discovery, the Township Clerk immediately notified the Tuscola County Clerk’s Office, with County Clerk Jodi Fetting then working closely with the Michigan Bureau of Elections to ensure the ballots were handled properly and presented to the Board of Canvassers in accordance with election law and established procedures.
The matter was brought before the Board of Canvassers, which held authority to determine whether the eight legally cast ballots would be counted or whether the votes would be excluded from the final tally. Following review and discussion, the Board voted 3-1 to proceed with processing the ballots.
The absentee voter ballots were removed from the secure transfer container, and the Board examined the envelopes to verify they remained sealed and untampered. The County Clerk then verified each voter’s signature against the Qualified Voter File (QVF), confirmed the voters were active registered voters, and ensured none had voted in person on May 5, 2026. After all verification procedures were completed, the ballots were processed and tabulated along with the cured signature ballot.
The hand-counted results of the nine ballots totaled six “yes” votes and three “no” votes for the Cass City School millage, and thus, the adjusted final vote total found that the Cass City School millage was approved, 630-628. The board voted unanimously to certify those results. They also voted unanimously to certify the Mayville Community Schools election results after confirming the outstanding MOVE ballot from Fremont Township had not been received by the deadline.
Cass City School District’s $10 million bond, as approved, would be used to pay for construction and furnishing costs of adding additions to the school buildings, equipping and upgrading costs of school safety and technology, the costs for improving the schools’ athletic fields and playgrounds, and for buying school buses.
Mayville Community Schools’ now approved operating millage will levy 16.1589 mill for six years, with the first year to see over $1.1 million levied.
