More Detroit Humor at Voters' Expense

Ah, Detroit. Perhaps we should call you the laugh a minute city. except that the issues involved are so very serious. Now there is a question of whether 20,000 (that's twenty thousand) ballots were incorrectly tallied from the city's primary election two weeks ago, the one won by Mike Duggan as the result of a write in campaign. Second place finisher Benny Napoleon insists they be recounted, and that's okay. A recount could give him a primary victory, and that might be important in the coming weeks with as momentum switches to the November general election.

What is not okay is another punch in the gut to Detroit. This is potentially another display of incompetence which can be laid squarely on the backs of the city and the people who live in it, run it (the Emergency manager notwithstanding), defend it, vote in it, demand democracy for it, and even run its elections. Is there any reason now to doubt the necessity of the EM?

It appears to come down to a question of whether poll workers incorrectly marked the 20,000 or so votes in question. Yes, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers could have acted more quickly, by ordering a recount earlier. You'll find more detail here: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/more-than-20000-votes-cast-for-mike-duggan-in-detroit-primary-election-may-be-in-jeopardy Instead, they punted it to the state at the last minute (they were supposed to have certified the election yesterday, August 20). So this is partly on the County too, and not Detroit alone.

Still, it reeks of the raw stupidity which Detroiters across the board have been accused of for a very long time now. Are we a banana republic, or a proud city on a hill in the United States of America?

We're not sure of the answer either.

A Write-in Candidate Wins in Detroit

Say whatever you want about the real value of elections. Say what you will about how one vote doesn't count. Sneer, even, at the entire election process. Because no matter what you say, think, or do, what happened yesterday in the Detroit mayoral primary is impressive and significant. A write in candidate not only won a spot on the general election ballot this November, he also came in first.

Mike Duggan was the top vote getter in yesterday's primary, and not by a small margin. He won almost half the ballots, and as a write in candidate. He was forced to do so after a court had rejected his spot on the ballot. This is more than a historical footnote. It's almost unthinkable.

True, Duggan had name recognition. True, too, that he had the support of both major Detroit newspapers, the Free Press and the News. True as well that he may have been helped by having been unceremoniously ordered off the ballot. The fact is that voters are a rather lazy lot. Yet over 44,000 of then in the city of Detroit took the time to write someone's name on their ballot.

It may well mean than the November election is a foregone conclusion. Benny Napoleon was supposedly the front runner yet was beaten by 16 percentage points. He already, arguably, has about half the electorate against him. Duggan needed barely four percent more voters for a majority yesterday; how can he not gain that much two months from now?

Okay, it's not over til it's over. Officially. But this one's over, folks. Mike Duggan will be the next Mayor of Detroit. We'll talk to you again about it on November 6.