Nearly 300 absentee ballots from 2020 election found in Michigan county storage unit

Nearly 300 absentee ballots from the 2020 election were found in a Michigan county storage unit, according to a township supervisor.

The ballots were discovered in a storage unit in Genesee County, which encompasses the city of Flint, Mich., and Thetford Township.

The discovery was made by Thetford Township Supervisor Rachel Stanke through a Freedom of Information Act and presented Wednesday to the township board and residents, according to Michigan News Source.

In 2021, Stanke first became aware of the potential existence of the missing ballots. She initially contacted the Michigan attorney general and the secretary of state, then later told the Michigan State Police after receiving tips regarding the missing ballots and supposed "old township documents" that were discovered.

The storage unit was rented by a former township employee who stowed the box of ballots there, according to the FOIA records. Stanke said that the employee was not aware of the contents of the box.

The Michigan police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the ballots after recovering them in August 2022.

Stanke hopes that residents can trust the fairness and accuracy of elections. "That's why I want to bring this to their attention," she said. "And I want them to be able to make sure that their elections are run fairly and smoothly."

Katie Hicks, who lost by 19 votes in her race for Thetford Township Clerk in 2020, said she cannot trust future elections.

"Now this is all coming out and ... I'm kind of happy that it's coming out because the election is right around the corner again. And it concerns me that this will take place again for 2024," Hicks said.