The Oakland County Republican Party has until Monday to select a new candidate to replace Patterson on the Nov. 7 ballot, according to Oakland County Deputy Clerk James VanLeuven.
‘I anticipate they’re going to give us a name by Monday,? he said. ‘I told them Monday morning.?
‘If they don’t pick a candidate, basically there’s no opposition,? said Kelly Chesney, spokesperson for the Department of State.
‘You can’t count a vote for a deceased candidate.?
The Democratic challenger, Madalyn Miller, 19, of Brandon, would win by default with no opponent.
All the regular and absentee ballots in District #1 will have to be reprinted, VanLeuven explained.
The old absentee ballots would be recalled and new ballots mailed out to absentee voters.
One of two things can happen to absentee ballots already returned to the township clerks in the district. The old ballots can be counted except for votes for Patterson, which would be considered invalid.
‘If they return one of the original ballots with the gentleman who is deceased on it, that particular race (if they voted for Patterson) would not be counted,? according to Chesney.
Votes for the Democrat on the old ballot are valid and would be counted. The rest of the old ballot would be valid in either case.
Absentee voters can fill out and return the new ballot when they receive it, in which case the old one would be voided. ‘They keep records of it in the clerk’s office,? Chesney said. ‘So, they’ll know to count the most recent ballot. That should not be a problem.?