Voting irregularities force revote among county supervisors Lotts and Bomar

The Chippewa County Board held a regular meeting on June 10, 2025, where significant discussions centered around the voting process for the election of supervisors. The meeting began with a review of the ballots cast, revealing that two ballots were invalid due to missing supervisor names, leaving a total of 16 valid ballots.

During the voting process, Supervisor Bomar received 9 votes, while Supervisor Lotts garnered 7 votes. However, it was determined that a majority of the supervisors present was required for a decision, which necessitated a minimum of 10 votes. This led to confusion regarding the interpretation of the voting rules, specifically whether the majority was based on valid votes or the number of supervisors present.

The board concluded that the wording in their election guidelines specified a majority of supervisors present, which meant that the vote needed to be retaken. The meeting included a call for volunteers to assist in collecting the ballots for the re-vote, emphasizing the importance of proper signature collection to avoid further invalid ballots.

As the meeting progressed, the board continued to tally votes, with the latest count showing Supervisor Lotts with 8 votes and Supervisor Bomar with 9 votes, still falling short of the required majority. The board acknowledged the need for clarity in their voting procedures to ensure a fair and accurate election process moving forward.

The meeting concluded with plans to address the voting discrepancies and ensure that all future ballots are correctly validated to avoid similar issues.