OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Ottawa County election recount results are in, and the outcome is the same.
Phil Kuyers beat out incumbent Roger Belknap for the Republican nomination for county commissioner.
The two shared a brief handshake with each other after the Board of Canvassers certified the election.
"I wish him the best of luck in the future," Belknap said.
On Aug. 6, the totals showed that Kuyers brought in 4,070 votes and Belknap received 2,997 votes.
After the recount ended Thursday, Kuyers brought in an extra five votes.
"I'm really happy that, you know, all these counts came out exactly about how Justin Roebuck and his team had it all put together, and they do such an amazing job," Kuyers said.
There were 20 people brought in to hand count the ballots. Around 40 volunteers for both camps also watched the count happen.
"I wanted to watch the process and learn more about the election," election watcher Janie Chittenden said. "Everything is followed strategically. They're counted strategically. You're allowed to view it. You're allowed to ask questions. It was very open and transparent."
This election process is a costly endeavor for the challenger and the county since the results had more than 15 percentage points separating the two candidates.
Belknap's campaign put in $5,000 to see if this recount would have changed the results.
"I don't think it was a waste," Belknap said. "We had a lot of citizens turn out today to be part of the process. Those are positive things. Those are the great things about Ottawa County."
County Clerk Justin Roebuck explained that he estimates that the recount could cost the county anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000.
"Ultimately, this was $250 per precinct based on the large vote spread. So in other words, if the election had been closer, the fee would have been lower," Roebuck added.
The reason for the recount boils down to what Belknap filed.
He cites complications and outages with online reporting on the county's website. Also, a local media report screenshot shows he had more votes than his opponent.
FOX 17 contacted that outlet to understand more about the incorrect report and what happened. That outlet sent us this statement that reads in part, "human error" and "as soon as the mistake was realized, correct vote totals were updated."
This recount is the county's first one since the 2016 presidential election.
"I think today was a long day, but it also proved the veracity and the integrity and the accuracy of our process," Roebuck said. "When you look at the numbers, you know the net gain of five votes by Mr. Kuyers represents essentially a less than one tenth of 1% change in the total... the total outcome."
Kuyers will now face off against Democratic challenger Angela Stanford-Butler in the general election.
"I think a lot of people know how I worked in the county before, and how I worked hard. I think they're going to still vote for me. So I'm confident that I can win a general election," Kuyers added.
Belknap, an Ottawa Impact commissioner, is one of five candidates for the board that got support from the PAC and lost in the primary election. This means the OI lost its majority when the new board takes over in January.
"I don't take away that it was a failure of our beliefs or our values," Belknap said. "I continue to support Ottawa Impact and the message that they're bringing and in the people because that, to me, is what this is all about."
Depending on the results of the November election, OI could keep four seats on the Board of Commissioners.
Kuyers explains that if elected, he is willing to work with the four commissioners but adds that it may take time.
"If they want to work with us, I'm good with that. If they want to not work with us, then, we'll work around them; it is as easy as that," Kuyers said.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
