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Montcalm Co. candidate’s own write-in vote will win an election

Posted at 7:10 PM, Nov 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-02 19:10:50-04

STANTON, Mich. (AP) — Just one write-in vote will win an election for a county post in western Michigan.

Christopher Johnston lost the August primary for a seat on Montcalm County Board of Commissioners. Ron Braman’s victory meant he would run unopposed in the Nov. 6 election.

But the 74-year-old Braman died on Oct. 24.

The Daily News in Greenville reports that Johnston met the deadline to sign up as a write-in candidate, two days after Braman’s death. No one else did. So Johnston only needs a single vote Tuesday to become a county commissioner.

The Montcalm County clerk says Johnston “absolutely” can write his own name. Fred Woodhams, spokesman for the secretary of state, says, “It’s not common, but it does happen from time to time.”