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Libertarian Candidates: How and Why to Campaign Door-to-Door

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

This is the sixth in a series of articles about “How to Get Elected as a Libertarian.” This article focuses on how to effectively campaign door-to-door.  

In summary, while campaigning as a Libertarian, it is vital to get out and meet as many voters as possible. It takes a lot of courage, but it gets easier and you won’t regret it!

It is also very important to organize your door-to-door campaign, which requires you to answer the basic questions: Who, What, When, Where and Why will you campaign door to door?

Who do you want to reach? You want to knock on as many doors as possible, but you want to be sure that you are only targeting registered voters. If you are running for a local position in Michigan, your township or county clerk should be able to give you a list of voters. Usually, this list is on an Excel sheet, so you can easily manage the data to organize your door-to-door campaign.

Take the time to organize this list by street, neighborhood and even house. The more time you organize and plan your door-to-door campaign, the more effective you will be. If the list tells you who usually votes absentee, and/or who usually votes in primary elections, it is wise to prioritize these people. Figure out how many households you need to reach, and give yourself daily, weekly and monthly goals.

What do you tell them? The most efficient way to reach as many people as possible is to spend about 30 seconds with each person who answers the door. Be sure to look them in the eye! Introduce yourself, tell them that you are running for x position on x date, and hand them some information about yourself.

Door hangers such as the one pictured here are the best, because you can leave them on the doors of those who are not home. I even put all the Michigan Libertarian candidates on the other side of my door hanger.

Of course, some people will want to talk longer, which is okay once in a while. It helps you to be in touch with the views of the voters. There are also some voters who are “influencers,” and very active in the community. It is always worthwhile to talk longer to those who might be more likely to talk to others. However, try not to get dragged into political discussions, especially if they are not winnable discussions. Remember, your goal is to simply introduce yourself to as many voters as possible.

When is the best time to go door to door? Again, absentee voters often vote early, so as soon as you can, you should try to visit those who vote absentee. You can visit the others all the way up until the day before the election! They say that evenings and weekends are the best time to find people home, but get out whenever you have the chance! Also, if you only go out on weekends and evenings, you will probably not meet your goals.

Where do I campaign? Start with the most populated areas, and work your way to the more rural voters. Stay away from any no trespassing signs, and respect the “no solicitations” requests. You will run into a lot of dogs! Some campaigners bring dog treats, but I don’t recommend it as many dogs are on special diets.

Why should you campaign door-to-door? Meeting voters face-to-face is by far the most effective way to convince someone to vote for you. Libertarians face an uphill battle, especially with straight ticket voting. Going door-to-door convinces people to take a chance on you, and also gives you the opportunity to introduce them to the Libertarian philosophy.

In summary, door-to-door campaigns are crucial and necessary when running for office as a Libertarian. These personal visits can propel you to a victory, especially in local races!

As an elected Libertarian for a Township Trustee in a small rural northern Michigan town, I believe that 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 topic next month will be about how to use mailings in your political campaign. l welcome ideas and questions at any time at dokrieg@gmail.com.

Series on 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

Discussions Revived for Antrim County Jail and Facilities Plans

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

Byce & Associates presented the proposed Facilities Master Plan to the Antrim County Board of Commissioners on June 3rd. This plan includes several options for new or renovated Antrim County jail and administrative buildings. 

The one-hour presentation regarding the options can be found at 42-minute mark of this video.

The topic of a new or improved jail and administrative facilities has been shelved during the pandemic, and the original studies need updating. However, the trained and smooth consultants remain very convincing about the need for new facilities.

Several of the commissioners asked the right questions, which are some of the same questions I have.

These are my questions, in no particular order:

1. Does the county still need more room for its administration if there is now a policy allowing working at home? The county parking lot has been quite empty lately when I drive by. Do they even know what their work-at-home policy will be?

2. Have the needs of the jail changed since the study was last completed? The state has legalized marijuana, and they are promoting the Stepping Up Program to promote options to jail, which does nothing to rehabilitate anyone.

3. Whenever I hear consultants talking about industry standards, it reminds me of people trying to keep up with the Jones. Why don’t we just evaluate our own needs versus comparing ourselves with others? For example, an office of 100 square feet might be fine, until the consultants tell you that industry standards are higher, and convince you that “other counties” have bigger offices.

4. I was concerned about Ed Boettcher’s comment at the previous meeting, regarding how terrible the jail is for the employees. He repeated over and over that the break room was in a closet and was unacceptable, and stated that he wouldn’t want to work there.

My response would be that regardless of whether we value our police, most people in this county do not get special break rooms, or even breaks. If jail employees choose their place of employment based on the break room, we have a problem.

5. Will the new jail cost us more or less to operate? If it is safer and more efficient, it should be able to operate with fewer employees. Can Sheriff Bean adjust his operating budget to help fund the jail?  Sheriffs in other towns have modified their operating budgets after the building of newer and more efficient jails.

Of course, we all want the newest and the best, but the Commissioners need to be very careful spending taxpayers’ hard earned money on these projects.

A simple summary of the options is found here.The complete and complicated proposed Facilities Master Plan can be found here.

Libertarian Candidates: Using Political Signs During Your Campaign

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

This is the sixth in a series of articles about “How to Get Elected as a Libertarian.” This article focuses on how to effectively use political signs during your campaign.  

In summary, while campaigning as a Libertarian, it is vital to be competitive with political signs, as distasteful as they may be to many of us.

Simply put, signs get your name out there. In addition to being an elected official, I am also a real estate broker and am well aware of the importance of being visible in a community, and becoming a “known commodity.” Regardless of how much networking or internet marketing we do, our real estate signs are vital to market our properties and our company. It is no different for a political candidate.

Start by finding out what the sign restrictions are in your area, and make a list of people and businesses who you feel would be willing to put up a sign. You can then estimate how many signs you might need. You can always order more later as your campaign progresses.

Types of Signs and Where to Order
Political signs are usually very simple, and consist of the person’s name and which political office they are running for. There also has to be a statement somewhere on the sign about who is paying for the signs.

Of course, you need to choose a color. It is important for the sign to be very visible. Gold is the color of the Libertarian Party, but I used red for my signs as that is the color of my real estate company’s logo.

The 18’ x 24” size signs are best for most purposes.  Of course, the bigger the sign, the more it will be seen. Depending on your campaign finances, it may be worth it to order larger signs for busy and high visible areas.

Most yard signs are made from corrugated plastic with vertical fluting so that wire stakes can be easily inserted. Anything made of regular cardboard will not survive weather, and stronger signs such as metal signs will be cost prohibitive.

Where should you order your signs? If there is anyone in town who can be competitive, try to buy your signs from a local business! Sadly, in my rural small town, I was unable to find anyone who charged less for signs than Vistaprint.

When and Where to Put Your Signs
If your municipality doesn’t have a date dictating when signs go up, it’s best to start placing them a couple months before the campaign, as many people vote early by absentee ballot.

You can also check for the local ordinances governing where signs can be placed. In my town, I was lucky enough to be able to put signs underneath stop signs at all the corners on the busy roads.

Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family if you can put signs in their yard or at their business. All they can say is “no!”

While you are campaigning door to door, you can also ask friendly people if they will help you out.

I was able to put 100 signs in my township, which is 6 miles by 12 miles. By the end of the campaign, my signs were prevalent on major roads as well as private yards. Obviously, when you are campaigning for a regional or state position it’s more difficult to cover larger areas, but I am hoping that most people reading this are attempting a winning campaign for a local position.

Of course, you will lose signs as the campaign progresses. Weather, opponents, and teenage pranksters commonly destroy signs. My favorite campaign story is when one of my favorite clients snapped a photo of someone stealing my sign. It turned out to be the town drunk who didn’t like me. I can’t begin to put a price on the resulting publicity my campaign received on social media as a result of this sign thief!!

Last but not least, being responsible with your signs is important. They should not be placed on private property without the owner’s permission. It is important to keep a list of where you have all your signs, so that you can pick them up after the election.

In summary, political signs should be an important part of any Libertarian’s campaign for public office.

As an elected Libertarian for a Township Trustee in a small rural northern Michigan town, I believe that 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 topic next month will be about organizing door to door campaigns. I welcome ideas and questions 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

Libertarian Candidates: Organizing Media and Internet Campaigns

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

This is the fifth in a series of articles about “How to Get Elected as a Libertarian.” This article focuses on how to effectively use media and social media in your campaign.

In summary, having an effective and organized media campaign is extremely important for a Libertarian who is running for public office. Remember, your job as a candidate is to convince voters to know, like, and trust you. Obviously, you can’t meet every voter in person, so you need to use the tools that allow you to communicate with them.

Websites, social media, and traditional media are separate but related areas. You should be active on all these media throughout your entire campaign. 

Website
It is important to have an easy way for people to find you on the internet. Having a website is the first step. It’s also good to be able to send your website address to the media.

Your website doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. GoDaddy is a great place to start, as you can buy your domain name there, and also create your website. You can also create a free website on websites such as Wix.

Of course, the more extensive the website, the better. However, at the very least, your main page should have contact information and information about your background, and why citizens should vote for you.

Ideally your domain name would include your name and position, so that google picks it up. The text throughout your website should include any phrases that your voters might search for on google.

Having one good webpage at an early point in the campaign is more important than taking extra time to build and launch an extensive website. You can add webpages as your campaign progresses, or even add sections such as “events” or “issues.” These website pages about issues and events can then be promoted on social media.

Social Media
Always remember that voters are watching you on your social media, even on your personal pages. It is important to always present the image of a professional person who the voters can relate to.

You can promote your campaign by providing information and statements on your personal pages, whether Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or anywhere else you will find voters. Just don’t overdo it, and be sure you continue to have posts which are not about your campaign. Also, it is always important to show interest in others. Respond to any questions or comments, and engage them in conversations on their page. Social media is two-way. Don’t just use the media to promote yourself!

Neighborhood websites or neighborhood “pages” are also excellent places to introduce yourself to voters. Just be careful not to take over any of these pages, and post according to the rules of the administrators.

The best way I have found to reach voters is to create a separate Facebook page for your candidacy. This allows you to pay a very reasonable rate to reach people outside your circle. Again, the title of the page should include your name and the position. Include links to your website, pictures of you, and information about your candidacy. Build your audience by posting daily. Again, mix news about your stances and candidacy with human interest pictures and stories about the area, meetings, issues, etc.

Invite all your friends to like your candidate page, and tell everyone on your other social media about the new page.

Last but not least, not many people will see your page unless you pay to promote your posts. It is very cost effective to pay for Facebook ads, as they are a fraction of the cost of other media. You have to jump through Facebook’s hoops to be approved as an advertiser. However, once you are approved, for just a few dollars you can target people in your area and make sure that they see your messages.

Traditional Media Campaign
Even if you have a website and social media, it is important to have a traditional media campaign. Even if you don’t read a newspaper, many voters still do, particularly senior citizens who vote at a high rate. The same is true for traditional radio and television stations.

Start by making a complete list of all newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations in the area that you are targeting. Most of these media have websites with contact information, and some even have a special email address where you can send press releases.  Add each of these email addresses to your list.

Start out by writing an announcement about your campaign, combined with a decent professional picture. Also, include your website and social media addresses. Email the announcement and picture to each person on your media list. Take the time to write each email personally, rather than copying or blind copying each person.

Each week, think of a newsworthy event and send it to each person on the list. This could be information about events you are attending, things you are doing for the community, or statements that you make about issues in your area.

In summary, while campaigning as a Libertarian, it is vital to use the internet and traditional media to build your presence in the community.

As an elected Libertarian for a Township Trustee in a small rural northern Michigan town, I believe that 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 topic next month will be about political signs. I 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

Libertarians: Start Networking Now for Next Election

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

This is the fourth in a series of articles about “How to Get Elected as a Libertarian.” This article focuses on networking, and attending community events.

Being out in front of the public constantly is necessary for any candidate. The sooner a candidate starts this public exposure, the better. People vote for those who they know, like or trust. Therefore, you need every opportunity to let people know who you are, and show voters that you plan to work hard to represent them. They also need to know that they can trust you to make the right decisions. 

In a previous article, we talked about the importance of attending your local government meetings and asking questions! Most of these meetings allow public comment. It is very useful to introduce yourself as a candidate during public comment, and also for you to speak intelligently about any relevant issues.

The possibilities for exposure by just attending government meetings are endless. The people who attend and run these meetings are often those who are the most involved, and speak to others.

Going to the meetings for all areas of your local government is very beneficial. For example, if you are running for a Township Trustee, you should go to township meetings as well as board meetings for the various township branches. In my township, these boards include water/sewer; fire department, roads, library and ambulance. You should also go to county meetings, village meetings, committee meetings, etc. Speak out whenever you have the chance and introduce yourself as a candidate!

In addition to government meetings, there are many other opportunities to network. If you are already a member of any organizations, or group: continue to show up, volunteer for projects, and make a point to let people know that you are running.

If you are not a member, contact these organizations and ask if you can visit as a guest. Almost all of these groups have public opportunities to introduce yourself.

Rotary Clubs and similar service clubs are very easy to find. These organizations exist in large cities and tiny towns. Between google and word of mouth, you should be able to find many options.

School events, including school board meetings, can be very valuable for meeting voters. Even school sporting events offer the chance to introduce yourself to new people.

Last but not least: Festivals, fairs, and community events are great networking events. Many of these will offer an opportunity for you to have a booth! If you decide to go this route, make sure you have a large banner or sign, as well as literature to pass out.

The topic next month will be about media campaigns, including social media. I 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

 

Creating Your Libertarian Campaign Plan

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

This is the fourth in a series of articles about “How to Get Elected as a Libertarian.” This article focuses on creating your campaign plan.

Once you choose a winnable race, it’s time to plan your campaign. A campaign plan does not have to be complicated or lengthy. It is simply an outline of what you hope to accomplish as you attempt to persuade voters that you deserve to be their leader.

Your campaign plan should have specific achievable goals, broken down as much as possible. Each campaign plan should include the following details:

  1. Voter research: Obtain a list of voters from your county clerk and find out how many likely voters there are. How many votes do you need to win? Who is your opposition?
  2. Campaign workers: who will volunteer to help you? What will each of them do? Will you designate one person to be in charge?
  3. Messaging: what issues will you stress while campaigning? How will you showcase your strength and experience?
  4. Future articles will be more detailed regarding signs, mailings, social media, print media ads, door to door campaigns, and more. For your business plan, you should outline how much you will spend on each of those areas, and when/where/how you will spend it.a. How many signs do you want to put up and where? What is the sign ordinance in your area? How will you find places to put up signs? What is the cost of signs, and where will you obtain them?b. How many media ads do you want to run, and in which publications? When should you run these ads? What should they look like?
    c. A website is necessary for promoting your campaign. What will this website look like? Who will create and maintain it?d. Social media is very helpful and necessary to be competitive in a contested race. Which social media will you use? Will you create a special page? Will you spend money on ads? Again: when, where, and how?e. Door to door campaign: Every Libertarian who has ever won a contested race has run a strong door-to-door campaign. Future articles will discuss this in detail, but take a look at that list you got from the county clerk and make a goal for how many households you will visit each week.f. Mailings: These can be expensive, but may be necessary if you plan to reach every voter. You can use the same list of voters that you use for a door-to-door campaign. There are many options for mailings, which will be discussed in a future column.
  5. Campaign fundraising: how much money will you need to accomplish your goals? This calculation will involve adding up the amounts you will need for signs, mailings, media ads, and any other expenses. Once you estimate how much money you will need, how will you obtain this money? Will you self-fund, or ask others? How many people will you need to donate to reach your goals?

Obviously, your campaign plan must be flexible, as it will be modified many times as the campaign plays out. Optimally, you would review your campaign plan weekly to see how things may need to be changed.

In summary, having a campaign plan is necessary if you are running in a contested race for public office. Hopefully this article helps you start thinking about what this plan might be. As a recently elected Libertarian for a Township Trustee in a small rural northern Michigan town, I believe that 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 topic next month will be about networking: attending community events. I 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

 

Homeschooling in Michigan, Independent of Public Schools

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

Homeschooling is a great option for many families and children, and really fits a Libertarian lifestyle and philosophy.

However, those forced to keep their children home to follow a public school curriculum and schedule have the worst of all worlds. Sitting in front of a computer screen listening to a teacher for a set amount of time each day does not at all resemble the homeschooling done by people independent of the government. 

Independent homeschooling offers parents and families total control over their schedules and curriculum, in addition to flexible time for outings, trips, family, friends and community. On the other hand, the “schooling from home” being done through the pubic schools is not flexible, and can be isolating, rigid, and depressing.

We homeschooled our children many years ago. Both of them ended up graduating early, with fully paid four-year college scholarships. More importantly, both of them are happy and thriving adults.

In 2016, 2.3 million children were home-schooled in the United States. Before the pandemic, this number is growing at about 5 percent per year. About 50,000 children are home-schooled in Michigan.

According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), the choice is often a beneficial one: “The home-educated are typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development.”

Academically, NHERI finds that home-school students consistently score 15 to 30 points above public school students on standardized academic achievement tests, regardless of their parents’ formal education or income. While some might argue that the home-schooling community “skims from the top,” that is absolutely not true. In fact, those with children who have trouble learning in the public schools are the most attracted to homeschooling.

Well-meaning family and friends of home-schoolers often worry about “how the kids will be socialized.”  Yet research shows that  “home-schoolers do very well with peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.” The flexible nature of home-schooling allows children more time to develop both hobbies and relationships. Downstate, we belonged to a home-school group at our church, in addition to several groups for sports, music, and much more.

There are also many home-school church and social based groups throughout Michigan. Support and friendships with other families are important to home schooling parents and children. There is also a legal firm called the Home School Legal Defense Association,  which is a great resource for anyone who is considering taking the leap.

In summary, home-schooling was a great experience for our family, and more and more families are trying it all the time. It is not for everyone, but is a great option for many.

If you or your children are not happy with your local public or private school, why not try home schooling?

 

Libertarians: Start Now to Choose a Winning Race!

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

This is the second in a series of articles about “How to Get Elected as a Libertarian.” As a recently elected Libertarian for a Township Trustee in a small rural northern Michigan town, I believe that the Libertarian Party of Michigan should recruit as many qualified, freedom loving candidates as possible to run for similar local roles across the state. 

This article focuses on how to get started with the process of choosing a winnable race.

Learn How Your Local Government Works
How and when do you decide which position to run for? My advice is to start NOW! It may seem like the next election is far away, but there is a lot of work to be done! Start with a baby step: simply attend your local government meetings and ask questions! It’s important to get a feel for your local government: the structure, the people, and the issues.

Starting with the most local position gives you the best chance to win. The number of people you need to reach is more manageable than state level positions, which require fundraising just to have a small chance to be elected. In Michigan, depending where you live, the local positions are at the township, village, or city level. County positions are also great choices, as each county is divided into districts. Often a County Commissioner and a Township Trustee have similar numbers of constituents. 

There are numerous other boards and committees in each township, village, city, or county. For example, there are commissions and boards for zoning, planning, water, sewer, parks, fire and ambulance, housing, roads, and of course schools.

Some of these boards have members who are appointed, and some are elected. Some of those who are elected run in partisan races, which means that candidates have to choose which party to put after their name. Other positions and races are non-partisan, and the candidates do not disclose their party. Obviously, it is more challenging running as a Libertarian in a partisan race, but it also does more to advance the party. Many of these boards and commissions have volunteer positions, while others may pay per meeting. A few of the elected positions are considered full time, such as the Township or County Clerks, Supervisors, or Treasurers of the larger townships.

The bottom line is that each area is very different, and every position is different. Your first job is to get out there and figure out how your local government works!

Who Are The People Involved in Your Local Government?
In addition to understanding the structure of your local government, another important part of your decision is to understand who the people are on each of these boards and commissions.

To start with, are the current board members competent? Do they vote based on ethics? Do they support freedom? Do they listen to the people? Do they vote for or against your principles?

As you attend meetings, you will realize that some people need to be replaced. Others may already vote for freedom and libertarian values.

Also, some people in these positions have been there forever, and have towns and streets named after them. They might be so popular that unseating them would be difficult. On the other hand, maybe some of these people would retire if they knew there were suitable replacements.

Getting to know the people is a very important part of your decision about which position might fit you best.

What are the Issues?
In addition to learning about the structure and personnel of your local government, you should know which issues are handled by the various boards and commissions. Some of these might interest you and suit your background. For example, an engineer might prefer to be on a water and sewer board.

Regardless of which board you choose, the issues can be complicated. It is a big advantage for you to be aware of the issues before you run for office. When you run your campaign, you will be able to intelligently discuss the issues. It will also make your job easier once you are in office.

In summary, if you think you want to run as a Libertarian in the next election, start NOW! Research your local government, attend meetings, and start talking to the people. This will help you to make a more intelligent decision about which position to run for, and it will be a huge benefit to your campaign.

The topic next month will be creating your campaign plan. I 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

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

Northwest Michigan Libertarians Posted on by

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!

Northwest Michigan Libertarians avatarPosted on by

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