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2020 Election: Who Knows What Really Happened in Antrim County, Michigan?

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By now, the 2020 Christmas season is in full swing, and most Americans have accepted Joe Biden as the new president. In fact, many of us are tired of hearing about the divisive 2020 election. 

However, the ongoing saga of what happened and is still happening with the Antrim County, Michigan election results has many local citizens concerned about the integrity of our future elections, especially the operation of the Dominion voting machines.

Of particular concern is a lawsuit filed against Antrim County regarding election irregularities, which has not been resolved and continues to gain national attention.

FORGET TRUMP: LOCAL ISSUES ARE CRUCIAL
As a Libertarian, I do not support either of the major two party candidates. However, I am interested in and knowledgeable about local issues, and I was actually on this particular 2020 ballot. 

I also administer a citizen discussion page following the Antrim County Commissioner meetings, and county issues. This page has had postings and comments from many people directly involved in the investigation, including Commissioners, State Representatives, people who worked on the election and recount, and more.

These election issues are difficult for most of us to grasp at a national level, but at a local level they become real. In addition, there are many ways that we can impact local officials. For example, we have important leadership changes coming up on the County Commission, and new voting machines are being discussed at the local and state level. In addition, Commissioner Dawn Lavanway made a motion to have the prosecutor look into what happened to the deleted files on the Clerk’s computer. This motion was inappropriately tabled.

Regardless of where any Antrim County citizen stands politically, we are the county!  We are the ones bring sued. Therefore, we need to pressure our various officials to keep us informed about the lawsuit, and we need our leaders to address the problems with our election procedures and equipment.


Below is a summary of the facts, with links to much more detail. Even though people are tired of this issue, it is not going away soon! It is very important that we all stay informed. 

SUMMARY OF FACTS
Antrim, a tiny rural county in northern Michigan, gained national attention on the day after the election, when an issue skewed the initial election results for the presidential race. Initial results showed Joe Biden winning the county, but corrected results showed President Trump winning the county by more than 2,000 votes.

The issues, according to the County Clerk and Secretary of State, were due to human error and a failure to properly update software when there were ballot changes.

These same voting machines were purchased by many counties through the state of Michigan, utilizing a grant managed by the state. They were first used by Antrim County in 2018. The Michigan Senate and House has held oversight hearings about these machines, recently questioning both the county clerks and officials from Dominion Voting Systems.

LAWSUIT FILED
While the Senate hearings were occurring, real estate broker William Bailey, a Central Lake resident, filed a lawsuit against Antrim County.

Bailey’s statement said: “I have believed since the day after the November 3rd general election that voter fraud may have happened in Antrim County via the Dominion Voting Systems and other electronic voting equipment used in Antrim County. Approximately 6,000 votes flipped in Antrim County all helping Joe Biden. This should have never happened. I do not believe this was human error. I never bought into that narrative.”

Bailey asked to being his cyber-security experts into the county, to do a forensics report on the voting machines. “No matter what side of the political aisle you reside on, we all want/need to know that our votes count and that our Electoral Process in Antrim County is secure,” he stated.

AUDIT MADE PUBLIC
On December 4, Judge Kevin Elsenheimer ruled that Antrim County had to give Bailey’s team the information requested. The cyber-experts flew into Antrim County, while the county officials scrambled to manage the publicity and logistics of the audit.

The experts’ report was authored by Russel Ramsland, a cybersecurity analyst and Trump supporter, who is part of the management team for the Allied Security Operations Group. On December 14th, Elsenheimer ruled that the plaintiff could release the results of the report to the public, with redactions.

Ramsland’s report said analysts found a 68 percent “error rate” in the tabulation log of the server. “We have the Dominion logs, the judge made us redact them,” he explained. “Dominion’s own logs state that there were Excel files for adjudication uploaded and downloaded. However, adjudication records are gone, though they are there for previous years.”

When John Poulos, the Dominion CEO, testified before the Senate, he called Ramsland’s report “categorically false and technically incomprehensible.”

During all the back and forth, the state of Michigan joined in the lawsuit, which continues. At the last county meeting, Ed Boettcher, Chairman of the Antrim County Commissioners mentioned that there were many questions that the county is required to answer, as part of the interrogation process.

Despite what he feels is hard evidence, Ramsland is not convinced that the courts will ever settle this issue. “I think it’s going to be settled by legislators.” he said.

SECRETARY OF STATE MANAGES RECOUNT
Based on the findings, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ordered a hand recount of the county’s presidential election ballots at the Kearney Township hall in Bellaire, MI, where Bailey’s Attorney Matthew DePerno and 6 officials from Benson’s office were present to observe and ensure the volunteer poll workers did not stray away from their objective.

A video of the audit shows a volunteer questioning “multiple ballots with the same signature.” The official in the video can then be seen asking the volunteer to ignore what they believe is voter fraud, and count the ballots in order to move forward. “We understand that there is a concern with this precinct—but this is not a time for you to be investigating right now,” the official stated.

Bonnie Tipton Robbins, a township trustee and deputy clerk for Helena Township, was the person in the video asking the questions of the Secretary of State official, who happens to be a registered Democrat. Her partner in the recount was Greg MacMaster, a former Republican State Representative.

“Audits do not investigate potential fraud or irregularities and the Board of Elections representative clearly stated they were not concerned with facts, or had any intention of trying to get an accurate, factual finding,” stated Robbins. “Truth was not needed in this audit and not the goal of the audit.” 

COUNTY BOARD MEETING REQUEST FOR CRIMINAL HEARING
While the Secretary of State feels that the audit put all questions to rest, the lawsuit continues and many questions remain unanswered.

Public comment went for well over an hour at the December 17th Antrim County Commissioner meeting, with many citizens calling for County Administrator Pete Garwood to resign over some of his actions while managing the litigation. In addition, the following questions were asked by various citizens regarding the election and the report: 1. Who deleted the adjudication files? 2. Who deleted the maintenance file? 3. Who on November 21st tried unsuccessfully to delete files? 4. Who removed 1329 votes for Biden after election on the computer files?

At 1:02 in this video of the December 17th county meeting, Boettcher remarked: “There was misinformation during public comment that were inaccurate, but I feel we had to let that slide because we are in litigation. There are many questions that we are being compelled to respond to in the lawsuit, and we will and we are. Pete was directed by the Board to follow the Court order. He never contacted Dominion, and never proposed that Dominion come in prior to or with the forensic group. Just because it was said on a website does not make it a truth.”

Commissioner Dawn LaVanway then stated that she was not even made aware that the experts were coming to Antrim County. “I don’t feel that I had a say on anything. I didn’t tell Pete to do anything. There is a lot of misinformation between all of us. I am not aware of a lot of stuff. I find out after the fact.”

“There were a lot of questions asked by the public tonight, and I think it’s important that we find out what happened,” she continued. “Don’t you think we owe it to the voters to answer questions that the public might have? Isn’t that the role of the prosecuting attorney?”

LaVanway then made a motion to have the prosecuting attorney look into the questions of who deleted the files. “It’s not about whether the ballots matched the tabulator. What happened to the maintenance file? What happened on November 21st?”

LaVanway’s motion was seconded by both Terry Vanalstine and Josh Watrous. However, before the motion could be brought to a vote, Karen Bargy moved to table it, citing ongoing litigation. Even though there was no second to Bargy’s motion to table, Boettcher allowed it.

The Chair and Vice-Chair did not allow all Antrim County citizens to be represented by a vote on this motion. They disrespected their fellow commissioners and the citizens by making the decision on their own.

When I asked Boettcher why he did this, he stated: “I allowed the motion to be tabled because our board rules, as agreed to by all commissioners, allows for any one commissioner to table an action not on the agenda and not allowing commissioners 3 days to research.”

He continued: “The clerk is elected by the people. The prosecutor is elected by the people.The board has no control over elected positions. We can’t direct the Prosecutor or the Clerk to take any specific action.”

At the January meeting, the Commissioners will vote for a new Chair and Vice-Chair. Hopefully they will elect people who does a better job respecting the others, and respecting the voters.

Boettcher and Garwood also told us that “we” will answer the questions in the lawsuit. However, will they keep the public informed of these answers? My fear is that they will play their usual games, and claim that privacy is necessary. Then all of this will be swept under the rug. We deserve better.

Opinion Article by Donna Gundle-Krieg 

Summary of Resources

Voter Files Lawsuit Against Antrim County Over Dominion Election Equipment

Forensics Report Voting Equipment Antrim County Michigan

MI Sec of State Official Caught On Video Telling Volunteers To Count “Multiple Ballots with the very During “Audit” Of Votes In Antrim County

Antrim County clerk testifies before The House and Senate at about 2:43

Full Video: Dominion CEO Testifies at Michigan Legislature Hearing

Antrim County Commissioner asks for criminal investigation into election misdeeds at 1:02 in this video

Antrim County Citizens Discussion Page

 

Series: How and Why to Get Local Libertarians Elected!

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In November, I was elected Mancelona Township Trustee. Mancelona is a rural northern Michigan town which had about 2000 people voting in the 2020 election. I was elected as a Libertarian. It wasn’t easy, but I believe that in the next election, the Libertarian Party of Michigan should recruit as many qualified, freedom loving candidates as possible to run for similar local roles across the state. 

The time to start planning for a winning campaign is now! Therefore, I will be writing a series of articles which will hopefully help other Libertarians choose and win local races. These columns will focus on what I learned throughout my campaign, as well as what issues I face now that I am in office.

As a newly elected local official, I have already voted on several issues, and been able to influence what is happening in my town. While local politics is not glamorous, it is related to nearly everything I do as a citizen and a real estate broker.

As a third-party minority, it seems that I have far more influence as a township trustee than I would have if I was the only Libertarian in the Senate or House. Running for local positions also means that I had far fewer voters to convince! Often, Libertarians can even find races where they can run unopposed.

Our 2020 vice-presidential candidate, Spike Cohen, has been interviewing Libertarians who won their races in 2020. He believes that building from the ground up is key to our party gaining influence. Recently, Spike interviewed both me and Scott Boman, newly elected Detroit Community Advisory Council. Click here for my interview, and click here for Scott Boman’s interview.

Once you win a local election, the fun really begins. You can’t walk in and expect to change the world. You will probably work on a board or council with people from the other parties who think very differently from you. I have already experienced this! It is necessary to build relationships and work together with people before you can persude them to vote for freedom.

Below are the topics I plan to write about in the coming months. I also plan to incorporate Scott’s experiences, as well as the thoughts and strategies of other elected Libertarians.I would welcome ideas and questions at any time at dokrieg@gmail.com.

Series: How and Why to Get Local Libertarians Elected: 

Libertarians: Start Now to Choose a Winning Race

Creating Your Campaign Plan

Networking: Attend Community Events / Government Meetings  

Media campaigns including social media

Political Signs

Organizing Door to Door Campaigns

Mailings

 

Voter Files Lawsuit Against Antrim County Over Dominion Election Equipment

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Central Lake resident William Bailey has filed a lawsuit against Antrim County, asking that County Clerk Sheryl Guy turn over “digital imagery of all the county’s voting equipment used in the 2020 general election.”

Central Lake resident Bill Bailey has filed a lawsuit against Antrim County regarding the election equipment.

“I’m not a member of any political groups in Antrim County,’ stated Bailey, a local real estate broker. ”I’m fighting this battle because protecting our Electoral Process is sacred to our Limited Government Constitutional Republic.”

Bailey also said that he’s willing to drop the lawsuit “if they let the team of cybercrime/cyber-terrorism experts that I’ve secured simply take digital imagery of all the county’s voting equipment used in the 2020 general election.”

When asked, Bailey was confident that voter confidentiality will not be affected by the cyber-review process . “The cyber forensic team will take digital imagery of the voting equipment. They will not see any actual ballots that are sealed,” he explained.

“Once the cyber team is done, we will know if our equipment was safe during the election or was compromised in some way. We need to know that answer because we will most likely be voting on this same equipment in 2 years. I can’t vote again without knowing our equipment is safe.”

Bailey is asking for citizens to contact Sheryl Guy, County Clerk, as he believes she has the ability to give him the data he is requesting. Click here for Bailey’s unedited public statement regarding the lawsuit.

Bailey’s lawsuit is similar to lawsuits being filed by Trump’s lawyers across the country. Sources say that the Board of Commissioners will discuss Bailey’s request in closed session some time during their meeting on Thursday, December 5th.

Sheryl Guy, Antrim County Clerk, in a photo from the Traverse City Record-Eagle

Clerk Guy believes that Antrim County has nothing to hide. She recently testified in front of the Senate Oversight Committee regarding the election tabulation issues. See her testimony at 2:36 of this tape.

“Incorrect election reporting of the unofficial results was a result of human error facilitated after two ballot corrections,” she explained. “We reprogrammed tabulator flash card for Mancelona township. We did not realize that we had to reprogram all the tabulator compact cards for all the townships. The error caused the election night program to not load correctly.”

“What was missed, you know, is on us,” Guy told the Traverse City Record Eagle.  “That’s a very hard lesson to learn. But this will never happen in Antrim County again.”

The Michigan Secretary of State’s office released a statement corroborating Guy’s account, stating that it was an isolated incident: “Even a widespread error would be caught during county canvasses.”

Additional Resources:

William Bailey’s Complete and Unedited Statement Regarding the lawsuit that he filed against Antrim County 

Link to Lawsuit Against Antrim County Filed in 13th District Court

Sidney Powell GA Lawsuit Demands Every Voting Machine Be Seized and Undergo Immediate Forensic Audit  

King v. Michigan Lawsuit

Video on Donald Trump’s Website: Dominion-izing the Vote

Senate Oversight Hearings, where three Michigan county clerks testified. Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy starts testifying at 2:36 of this video.

Disinformation Agents Were Watching and Waiting to Exploit an Error Like Antrim County’s

Bailey’s Unedited Statement Regarding Lawsuit Against Antrim County

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Willliam Bailey of Central Lake has filed a lawsuit against Antrim County related to the Dominion voting machines.

Following is the complete and unedited statement from William Bailey, Central Lake Resident, who recently filed a lawsuit against Antrim County regarding the Dominion Voting Machines. For more information, including the clerk’s statements to the Oversight Committee, see “Voter Files Lawsuit Against Antrim County Over Dominion Election Equipment.”


William Bailey’s Statement:
I have believed since the day after the November 3rd, general election that voter fraud may have happened in Antrim County via the Dominion Voting Systems and other electronic voting equipment used in Antrim County. (Not to incriminate anyone in Antrim County)

Approx 6,000 votes flipped in Antrim County all helping Joe Biden.

This should have never happened. I do not believe this was human error. I never bought into that narrative.

I filed a complaint on November 6th, in person, with Antrim County Prosecutor, Jim Rossiter. I called and spoke with Antrim County Sheriff, Dan Bean, and I filed a criminal complaint with the FBI the same day.

When Antrim County Undersheriff, Dean Pratt and Sgt/Detective James Jannise finally showed up at my house to get my police statement, Sgt/Det Jannise admitted this [cybercrime] was above him that he/they weren’t qualified to deal with it. He said we need help and that the State Police and FBI won’t touch this.

I then informed them that after I had had my last conversation with Jim Rossiter that I WAS able to get the damning evidence I have (that I won’t share here, but certainly points to election tampering) to high level people. I told them I wouldn’t say who they are, but that the Cavalry was coming.

An attorney specializing in Constitutional Law is now representing me, and I’ve filed a lawsuit against Antrim County.

It’s a Constitutional Right to know that my/our votes counts. Not a fraction of them – but ALL of each and every vote. It’s also a Constitutional Right for government to provide a secure and safe voting system.

I’m willing to drop my lawsuit against Antrim County if they let the team of cybercrime/cyber-terrorism experts that I’ve secured simply take digital imagery of all the county’s voting equipment used in the 2020 general election.

The cybercrime team doesn’t take any of the equipment. They simply take electronic  imagery. I’m told the process will take about 8 hours. Then they will take that information back with them to decipher.

Make no mistake, these are tier-one cybercrime cyber-terrorism experts. They are the top men and women in their field. We couldn’t have a better team of experts willing to inspect our voting equipment. Also, this will cost the county nothing. No charge. Once the cyber team finishes their report, which I will share, we will all know if our voting machines were compromised or if they are safe.

No matter what side of the political aisle you reside on, we all want/need to know that our votes count and that our Electoral Process in Antrim County is secure.

So you know, Antrim County Clerk, Sheryl Guy, has the authority to give the team of experts I’ve secured immediate access to the equipment. So far, she isn’t willing to give that permission. I like Sheryl, but I think she is scared at the moment to act because she is having to deal with all of this. But she really must. Otherwise, she will only create more uncertainty, and people will begin questioning her integrity.

If you know Sheryl Guy, please email or call her asking her to grant my team permission to inspect the equipment. These are professional people who will protect the chain of custody thereby protecting all information. Once I give the team the okay, they will board a jet and fly straight to the Bellaire airport.

Also, your township can and needs to grant the cyber team immediate access to their voting machine. Ask your township officials to grant that permission and to contact Sheryl Guy asking her to do so as well.

We are ground zero for Dominion Voting Systems machines switching votes. Everyone in America and the world now knows what happened in Antrim County, Michigan on election day. Everyone wants answers.

Having our equipment professionally inspected is a must, or we can never trust voting here again.

I/we simply want to know if our equipment was compromised or is safe. It’s that simple. But because we are still in the midst of a presidential election, we need to know that information right now!

If we can’t trust our Electoral Process we no longer have a country.

Contact info:
Sheryl Guy, Antrim County Clerk
231-533-6353
clerk@antrimcounty.org

The cyber forensic team will take digital imagery of the voting equipment. They will not see any actual ballots that are sealed. Voters can know how they voted will remain their secret.

Once the cyber team is done, we will know if our equipment was safe during the election or was compromised in some way.

We need to know that answer because we will most likely be voting on this same equipment in 2 years. I can’t and vote again without knowing our equipment is safe. 

 

In a follow up email, Bailey continues:

By the way, I’m convinced the vote count is most likely still wrong in Antrim County.

For one, a hand recount has NOT been done in Antrim County. If you have heard that it’s not true. The ballots remain sealed, and the canvassing board is/was not allowed to see them. Yet by only using information supplied by the Dominion Voting Systems machines and the registered voter list they certified the vote.

Not their fault, it’s just the way the system is rigged.

This is how the numbers (vote count Antrim County) have changed:

Nov 3:   16,047

Nov 5:   18,059

Nov 21: 16,044

Biden      Trump

Nov 3:    7,769        4,509

Nov 5:    7,289        9,783

Nov 21:. 5,960        9,748

For more information, please see:

Voter Files Lawsuit Against Antrim County Over Dominion Election Equipment

King v. Michigan Lawsuit

Sidney Powell GA Lawsuit Demands Every Voting Machine Be Seized and Undergo Immediate Forensic Audit  

Video: Dominionizing the Vote 

NW MI Libertarians Do Well on 2020 Ballot

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

Northwest Michigan Libertarians celebrated success during the November 2020 election, as Mancelona Township elected Donna Gundle-Krieg as the first Libertarian to ever win in a partisan race in northern Michgan. The five other Libertarian candidates in NW MIchigan also performed respectably, as did Ben Boren, who ran as a Libertarian for U.S. Congress in District #1.

In addition to Gundle-Krieg, other local candidates had impressive showings:

Frank Pelky, who ran for Homestead Township Clerk, received 43% of the votes against his Republican challenger;
David Holmer ran as Manistee County Comissioner, and received 25% of the votes against his Democrat challenger;
Cory Dean ran against 4 Republicans for Blair Township Clerk, and received 9% of the vote.

The other Libertarians all ran tri-partisan races, and received 2% of the vote, including Ben Boren, who ran for U.S. 1st District Representative in Congress; Racin’ Jason Crum, who ran for State Representative in the 104th district; and Thomas Bosch, who ran for Long Lake Township Trustee against eight other candidates.

Thanks to all of the candidates! Running for office is hard work, but spreading liberty is very important.

Click here to see how other candidates fared across Michigan.

Racin’ Jason Crum

 

David Holmer

Ben Boren

 

 

Frank Pelky

 

Cory Dean

 

 

 

Thomas Bosch

Donna Gundle-Krieg

Mancelona Trustee is 1st Northern MI Libertarian to Win Partisan Election

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

Donna Gundle-Krieg, a real estate broker from Mancelona Township, became the first Libertarian ever to win a partisan election in northern Michigan.  She beat Democrat Yousef Jabara by less than 100 votes in a three-way race for two spots for Mancelona Township Trustee.

“It is always an uphill battle to compete as a third party,” stated Gundle-Krieg, who went door-to-door to explain to voters why they should consider options outside the duopoly.

Gundle-Krieg credits her victory to very hard work during the campaign. “Going door-to-door is brutal, but necessary. I thought that I knew a lot of people in town, but it was humbling that I was wrong! I loved meeting so many new friends while campaigning.”

Gundle-Krieg also believes her work as a realtor helped her in the election. She was recently voted the “Red Hot Best” Realtor in Northern Michigan by readers of MyNorth Magazine. She has sold over 300 properties in the area since moving here several years ago.

“Mancelona has been good to me, and I have fallen in love with the people in this town,” she said. “I want to continue to find new ways to give back. I really think that my leadership and communication skills will serve the township residents well.”

Donna is also very involved in the community. She is a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, and the Mancelona Chamber of Commerce. Last year, she helped start the Mancelona Area Professionals Networking group, as well as Citizens Who Want a Vote on the Antrim County Jail

Donna was born and raised in the Detroit area, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wayne State University, as well as Master’s level business and law classes at Wayne State and Eastern Michigan University.

Donna lives with her husband Dennis on the Cedar River in Mancelona. They have two adult children. Son Steven and his wife Tori live in Chicago, and daughter Ellie and her husband Jared reside in Interlochen.

The Libertarian Party celebrated other local victories throughout the state of Michigan. 

Michigan Elects Local Libertarian Candidates

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

The Libertarian Party of Michigan ran 60 candidates for Federal, State, and local public office in this unusual election season marked by a global pandemic, a large percentage of absentee votes, and a hyper partisan political climate.

Libertarian Presidential Candidate Jo Jorgensen came in third place with 60,286 votes, or 1.09%. While this is less than a third of Gary Johnson’s record 3.59% of the vote in 2016, it was still the second best showing in party history.

Michigan Libertarian Defeats a Democrat

In Antrim County, Donna Gundle-Krieg was one of two candidates elected to the Mancelona Township Board of Trustees. Gundle-Krieg, owner of a well-known real estate agency, came in second place by defeating a Democrat by just under 100 votes. Donna became only the second Libertarian in Michigan, and first since 1988, to be elected to office by defeating a major party opponent.

In Fruitport Township, Richard Riekse was one of three candidates elected to the Township Parks Commission. Richard, along with a Democrat and Republican will serve on the commission.

In Detroit, Scotty Boman was elected to the 4th District Detroit Community Advisory Council. Boman, a community college professor, helped to create this commission via petition gathering in 2019. A second Libertarian, Gregory Creswell, filed as a write in candidate and is expected to be elected after the results are certified.

The nine Libertarian candidates for US Congress averaged 1.68% or 6,644 votes. The best showing was Jeff DePoy running in District 6 who received 2.75% (10,396 votes). The nine Libertarian candidates for State House averaged 1.91% or 963 votes. The best showing was Norm Peterson running in District 64 who received 2.61% (1,071 votes). The six Libertarian candidates running for the various statewide education boards averaged 1.14% or 112,699 votes. The best showing was Jon Elgas running for Wayne State Board of Governors who received 1.30% (125,792 votes).

For Michigan Supreme Court the Libertarian Party nominated two candidates who appear on the ballot as nonpartisan. Kerry Morgan received 339,195 votes (4.61%) and Katherine Nepton received 289,844 votes (3.94%).

A Worthy top vote getter

The top vote Libertarian vote getter in a partisan race was Dan Ziemba who received 125,944 votes for Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney in a two-way race against Democrat Kym Worthy. This is the best showing for a countywide candidate in party history. It’s also the first time the top Libertarian vote getter was not a statewide candidate. Ziemba currently has 152 votes more than Jon Elgas received for WSU Board of Governors.

Ziemba’s result will create an unusual election law interpretation for the Bureau of Elections. Retaining ballot status is based on the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes for that party in the preceding election. The top vote getting has always been a statewide candidate and county results are not even reported to the state.  Will the Bureau report that the retention of the LPM ballot status is based on Elgas or Ziemba’s vote?

Thanks again to all of our candidates!
=========================================================================
This article was written By Greg Stempfle and originally published by the Michigan Libertarian Party.

Why Voting Libertarian is Not a Wasted Vote

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As published in the Northern Express  Why are Americans still stuck with the same dysfunctional two parties year after year?

In other words, why won’t many Americans look beyond the duopoly to vote for some of the alternative candidates?

“It’s silly that a country that prides itself on choice allows only two choices for president,” said Bill Maher, political analyst and comedian.

The reasons for this are complicated, but the argument that Libertarians constantly hear is that people “don’t want to waste their votes” on the third-largest party, or any of the other alternatives. The idea of this argument is that your vote doesn’t count if you vote for someone who probably will not win.

Despite these arguments, Libertarians and other third-party voters are increasingly voting for candidates outside the duopoly. We’re doing this for many reasons. The progress that Libertarians have made in recent years has us hopeful. We also feel that even if our candidate doesn’t win, our votes will make a difference in other ways. Last but not least, most Libertarians feel that it is important to vote for principles and beliefs, rather than following the crowd.

According to Ballot Access News’ March 2018 edition, between 2008 and 2018, the number of U.S. voters registered as Libertarian surged by 92 percent. Over that same period, the number of voters registered as Democrats fell by 8 percent. Republicans are down by 5 percent. And the number of voters registered as independent or with other parties increased by 19 percent.

Also notable: In 2016, eight times as many people voted for the Libertarian presidential candidate than in 2008. According to Ballotpedia, 523,713 voted for Bob Barr in 2008, while almost 4,489,233 voted for Gary Johnson in 2016.

Most importantly, third-party candidates for small local offices have an excellent chance of winning. In these instances, your vote for Libertarian candidates really does make a difference.

The Libertarian Party has several township and county candidates on Northern Michigan ballots in 2020. These are all high-caliber people who have a great chance of winning and are active in their communities. These candidates have made an effort to get out and meet voters, since creative grassroots efforts are the best ways that Libertarians can overcome the obstacles. As Libertarian candidate for Mancelona Township trustee, I have been knocking on doors every day, introducing myself to my neighbors, and talking to them about their concerns.

On the other hand, Libertarian presidential candidates have a bigger challenge. As Kristina Nwazota, a former editor with the PBS online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, reported, “Third party candidates are at a disadvantage because of federal campaign finance laws, rules that dictate who can enter presidential debates, and a lack of media attention.”

However, despite these obstacles, Nwazota believes that “Third parties have had a major influence on U.S. policy and political debate.”

John McAlister, former Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, agrees.

“The most successful third party in the 20th Century was the Socialist Party. First the Democrats and then later the Republicans piecemeal adopted just about every major tenet of the 1916 Socialist Party platform,” he stated in his online article “The Wasted Vote Myth” at www.freepress.org.
Libertarians are the opposite of the Socialists, but the pattern is the same: “The radical ideas about liberty that we started with in 1971 are now being seriously debated or, in some cases, implemented by the other parties,” said McAlister.

“There’ll be an issue that’s being neglected or that is being purposely excluded from national debate because neither party wants to face the political criticism that it would bring,” explained Sean Wilentz of Princeton University. “Third parties are the ones that raise the issues that no one wants to raise.”

As Libertarians continue to grow the party and influence politics, it is insulting when people actually get angry at us because of how we vote. They assume that our vote takes away from their favorite candidate.

Yet surely no one thinks that we owe it to anyone to be sure that their candidate wins. In fact, I feel that my vote would be wasted if I voted for someone who does not represent my values and beliefs. It’s important for me to be true to myself and not follow society blindly, like a sheep.

Things would change if everyone read the platforms of the alternative parties and took a leap of faith.

“Even if once in your life you missed the chance to cast that mythical deciding ballot, the harm from selecting the wrong person in one election is more than offset by a lifetime of giving voter support to the lesser of two evils rather than standing up for what you believe,” said McAlister.

Voting for the lesser evil sends the wrong message. Remember, if we keep voting the way we have been voting, we will keep getting what we have been getting.

Research alternatives. Dare to be different. Vote for the person who truly represents your principles and beliefs.

How Would Libertarians Reform the Police?

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As written by Donna Gundle-Krieg and published in the Northern Express July 4, 2020

Americans are finally seeing the need to reform the way our society enforces laws, as the issue of police force has been placed front and center before us.

The Libertarian Party has been ahead of the game for decades on the issues of reforming our criminal justice system.

Since the 1960s, we have advocated for getting rid of laws that create “victimless crimes.” We have long believed in holding police accountable. Last but not least, Libertarians believe that the job descriptions, policies, and procedures of the police departments need to be reformed.

In fact, back in 1969, Lanny Friedlander, founder of the leading Libertarian magazine, Reason, said, “The police of a free society, engaging in retaliatory force only, enforcing laws of a defensive nature only, would be bound by the same laws they enforced and would stand fully accountable for their actions.”

Achieving this free society starts with getting rid of “victimless crimes.” In other words, we need to minimize the opportunity for the police to act against the public. This means fewer laws and less intrusive enforcement of the laws that we do have.

In 1971, the fledgling Libertarian Party called for “the repeal of all ‘crimes without victims,’ such as the prohibitions on drug use that have driven so much of the escalation in aggressive police tactics.”

Fifty years later, the Libertarian Party platform states: “Government force must be limited to the protection of the rights of individuals to life, liberty, and property, and governments must never be permitted to violate these rights.”

“We favor the repeal of all laws creating ‘crimes without victims,’ such as gambling, the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes, and consensual transactions involving sexual services.”

Voters in Michigan took a huge step toward repealing drug laws when they voted for recreational marijuana to be legal. According to Pew Research, in 2018, 40 percent of all arrests in the United States were for marijuana offenses. Making this drug legal certainly helps reduce the opportunity for the police to act against the public.

In addition to repealing victimless crimes, Libertarians favor holding government agencies and their employees accountable for their actions.

“We support full restitution for all loss suffered by persons arrested, indicted, tried, imprisoned, or otherwise injured in the course of criminal proceedings against them which do not result in their conviction,” the Libertarian Party declared in 1979.

“Law enforcement agencies should be liable for this restitution unless malfeasance of the officials involved is proven, in which case they should be personally liable.”

More recently, Grand Rapids’ Justin Amash, the only Libertarian in the U.S. Congress, introduced the first-ever “tri-partisan bill,” which would eliminate qualified immunity.

“The Ending Qualified Immunity Act will … restore Americans’ ability to obtain relief when police officers violate their constitutionally secured rights,” stated Amash.

“The brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police is merely the latest in a long line of incidents of egregious police misconduct. This pattern continues because police are legally, politically, and culturally insulated from consequences for violating the rights of the people whom they have sworn to serve.”

In addition to holding police officers accountable and eliminating victimless crimes, Libertarians believe that we must take back some of the tremendous power that society has given to police.

“Over the last 25 years, America has seen a disturbing militarization of its civilian law enforcement, along with a dramatic and unsettling rise in the use of paramilitary police units for routine police work,” warned the Cato Institute’s Radley Balko in his 2013 book, “Rise of the Warrior Cop.”

He explained that he was referring to Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, teams. These types of teams perform “no-knock raids,” which so often end in tragedy when police kick in the wrong door, or when a suddenly awakened resident tries to defend against intruders.

This month, libertarian-leaning Senator Rand Paul introduced legislation to stop the use of no-knock warrants, an idea that Democrats are also pushing in their calls for police reform. The bill requires law enforcement officers to give notice of their authority and purpose before entering a home.

In addition to qualified immunity and ending no-knock warrants, there are many other reforms that need to happen. Nearly all Americans favor at least some level of change to the nation’s criminal justice system, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which concluded that “Americans overwhelmingly want clear standards on when police officers may use force and consequences for officers who do so excessively.”

Thankfully, Americans are finally agreeing with Libertarians and implementing many of the reforms and policy changes that we have been fighting for decades.

The Libertarian party might have the deck stacked against it during elections. However, we have always been the first — and often the only — party to fight the battle against abusive government power.

 

Donna Gundle-Krieg 2020 Libertarian for Mancelona Township Trustee

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

Donna Gundle-Krieg is running as a Libertarian candidate for Mancelona Township Trustee on the November 3rd ballot. Mancelona voters can choose two trustees. Vote for Donna and also choose either Republican Rod Vesey or Democrat Yousef “Yogi” Jabara.

Donna, a real estate broker, lives with her husband Dennis on the Cedar River in Mancelona. They have two adult children. Son Steven and his wife Tori live in Chicago, and daughter Ellie and her husband Jared reside in Interlochen.

Donna, born and raised in the Detroit area, loves Mancelona. As broker and owner of DEK Realty, she has sold over 300 properties in the area since moving here several years ago. Recently Donna was voted 2020 “Red Hot Best” Realtor in the Charlevoix/Chain of Lakes area.  

“Mancelona has been good to me, and I have fallen in love with the people in this town,” she said. “I want to continue to find new ways to give back. I really think that my leadership and communication skills will serve the township residents well.”

She is also a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, and the Mancelona Chamber of Commerce. Last year, she helped start the Mancelona Area Professionals Networking group.

Donna’s biggest volunteer job is Political Director of the 9-county Northwest Michigan Libertarian Party. This affiliate was officially recognized last year as part of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. In recent years, many new Libertarian Party affiliate groups are forming as state party membership has grown, especially among freedom-loving millennials.

The Libertarian Party’s goal is to provide voters with options beyond the two-party system. Libertarians believe in limited government, so are considered financially conservative and socially liberal.

Donna also writes about Libertarian issues, primarily as a guest columnist for the Northern Express.

Donna has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wayne State University, as well as Master’s level business and law classes at Wayne State and Eastern Michigan University.