JOYCE STACKABLE, left, of Cedar, and Teresa Morio of Lake Leelanau spent most of Wednesday at the Leelanau County Government Center pulling names of folks who will be tapped to serve on juries in probate, circuit and district court. The county Board of Canvassers was scheduled to meet at 8 this morning to consider two requests for recounts from candidates who were unsuccessful in the August Primary.

County Treasurer Chelly Roush has requested a recount of votes cast in the Aug. 7 election in which she was topped by challenger John A. Gallagher III by 174 votes, 2,597- 2,423.

Cheryl Manning, incumbent Empire Township treasurer, was tied with challenger Bob Price, 90-90, when election night concluded. She and Price were called to the county clerk’s office Aug. 14 for a random drawing.

Two slips of paper were placed in a wooden box. One read “nominated,” the other “not nominated.” Manning drew first and pick the “not nominated” slip, leaving the winning paper for Price.

Both Roush and Manning filed recount requests Friday. Roush’s request included a $170 fee and Manning paid $10. The fee amounts to $10 for each of precinct involved in the recount exercise, county Clerk Michelle Crocker said.

“I owe it to the people who supported me,” Roush said Wednesday morning. “I’m also seeking the recount because of the initial ballot error which required absentee voters to return their ballots and be issued new ones.”

Absentee voters were sent ballots which did not include the County Road Commission’s request for a half-mill for two years.

Crocker has called in 18 election inspectors from throughout the county to be on hand when the canvassers meet. The exercise will entail workers physically counting votes by hand to determine whether they match with the poll book total. If the two don’t match after two tries, the vote is considered ‘uncountable” and as such the election results will stand.

“The results stand, the draw stands,” Crocker said.

Cost of the recount, estimated at between $1,000 and $2,000, will be charged to the townships, she said.

— by Amy Hubbell