LANSING, Mich. — Two clerks from a Michigan township in the Upper Peninsula were dismissed from their election responsibilities this week after they proposed a plan to manually count votes in the upcoming election, according to state authorities.

In a letter issued on Monday, Jonathan Brater, the state’s Director of Elections, informed that Rock River Clerk Tom Schierkolk and Deputy Clerk David LaMere had intentions to conduct a hand count before the county was scheduled to canvass the election results. Michigan regulations mandate the utilization of voting machines for ballot counting.

Rock River, which is situated around 27 miles from Marquette, Michigan, had a population of just over 1,200 residents as per the 2020 Census.

To maintain public confidence in the election’s integrity and security, the election responsibilities from the township will now be handed over to the deputy treasurer of Rock River, with assistance from a neighboring township clerk, as stated in Brater’s letter.

Research indicates that machine counting not only enhances speed but is also more precise compared to hand counting. In his correspondence, Brater emphasized that after polls close, the proper process entails securing tabulated ballots in numerically sealed containers.

In an interview, Schierkolk maintained that a hand count would align with state constitutional provisions. Brater, however, warned that defiance against the directives from his office, which operates under the Michigan Secretary of State, could lead to criminal misdemeanor charges.

Brater expressed concern regarding the actions and comments of both Schierkolk and LaMere, which have suggested a resistance to fulfilling their clerk obligations.

In the backdrop of claims propagated by former President Donald Trump and his supporters regarding widespread electoral fraud in the 2020 election, some Republican figures have advocated for replacing modern voting machines with a more labor-intensive and error-prone manual counting process, despite the lack of evidence supporting claims of extensive fraud or significant voting irregularities.

Additionally, in 2023, a Republican clerk in Shelby Township, Michigan faced disqualification from overseeing elections after being charged for acting as a false elector in 2020 on behalf of then-President Trump. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in the running for reelection as Shelby Township clerk.