Michie asks for recount in Morris-Turnberry

BY DENNY SCOTT

Chris Michie, who was beaten by a single vote in the race to become a Morris-Turnberry Councillor, has officially requested a recount of the 2022 municipal election, which council decided to grant him.

During council’s Nov. 1 meeting, the last of the 2018-2022 term, Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Hallam detailed Michie’s request, explaining how it would occur. With an online/phone voting system, there wouldn’t be physical ballots to recount, however SimplyVoting, the company that provides the service, would “lock” the current outcome and then resend the raw voter information to Morris-Turnberry, where it would be digitally tabulated. Those new results would then be compared with the first results, Hallam said.

Council approved the request, as recommended by staff, with Deputy-Reeve Sharen Zinn saying it makes sense with the margin of victory being just one vote.

The recount will be held on Nov. 9 and, while candidates aren’t required to attend, they are welcome.

Currently, all of council, including Mayor Jamie Heffer, Deputy-Mayor Sharen Zinn and Councillor Kevin Freiburger and Jamie McCallum, are set to return, alongside newcomer Jodi Snell, who would fill the vacancy left by former Councillor Jim Nelemans, who resigned earlier this year. Snell beat Michie by a single vote in the election.