Sumpter recount finds Morgan tops as Democrat Supervisor candidate

A recount of nine precincts in the Aug. 4 election for Democratic nominee for supervisor in Sumpter Township found incumbent John Morgan still well ahead and still winner of that contest.
Morgan, who gained 11 votes over Nelson Po in the recount, will be on the general election ballot as the Democratic candidate for supervisor. Tim Bowman is the Republican candidate for supervisor.
Po left the recount on Friday afternoon, after shaking Morgan’s hand in congratulations for his win. Morgan was gracious, Po said, pointing out it was Po’s first try for office.
On Tuesday, Po said he was considering a write-in campaign.
Morgan was 349 votes ahead of Po’s 327 in the unofficial results; 346 ahead of Po’s 327 in the official results; and 357 ahead in the recounted results.
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers, Wayne County Director of Elections Greg Mahar and about ten staff members spent four and a half hours in the Sumpter Township community center gymnasium working on the recount.
Sumpter had provided masks, gloves, sneeze shields and placed chairs for onlookers six feet apart. There were three recounting tables with three chairs in front of it for challengers. There were two challengers at each table.
There also was a table for county staff and a table for the Board of Canvassers’ meeting, both with sneeze guards.
The recount was scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m., but was delayed until 9:11 a.m. when two missing members of the Board of Canvassers finally arrived.
After recounting Precincts 1, 3, and 5, all six Absentee Ballot precincts were counted.
At 1:09 p.m., the Board of Canvassers voted unanimously to approve the recounted figures as the final figures in that election.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2, Po’s petition for a recount of nine precincts of Sumpter Township’s Aug. 4 primary election was the first business item to be acted on by the Wayne County Board of County Canvassers during a Zoom meeting.
The board voted unanimously to approve the recount after its attorney Janet Anderson-Davis said Po’s petition satisfied the legal elements for a recount, noting there was a possibility there may be a change in the count. She said the video he provided was circulated to board of canvassers’ members.
Also, she said, Po paid $2,500 for the recount and meets the statutory requirements.
It was noted the recount will cover precincts 1, 3, and 5 and all six absentee ballot counting board.
Greg Mahar, Wayne County Director of Elections, said there were 346 votes between Po and the winning incumbent John Morgan, according to the final, official, approved vote tally.
Attorney Anderson-Davis said Po did express a good-faith belief he could win and did allege that in his petition.
Jennifer Redmond, Deputy Director of Wayne County Elections, said the Sumpter Clerk had arranged for the recount to take place in the Sumpter Community Center where there is space to allow challengers and attorneys at each table.
The board of canvassers also approved a request by Shane Anders for a recount of the Republican candidate votes for Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney and Mahar wanted to hold both recounts at the same time in the same place so the board could be present and review them both.
That recount began shortly after 1 p.m. on Friday in Sumpter.