Probe launched in theft of WB cards that count votes

Less than a month before the Aug. 7 primary election, a police investigation is looking into the theft of vote-tabulating computer cards from the West Bloomfield Township Clerk’s Office.

“We’re investigating missing property and from our preliminary review, there is no sign of forced entry,” said West Bloomfield Police Chief Michael Patton. “The clerk (Cathy Shaughnessy) has security measures in place and we’ll conduct an investigation of who was in the building, who had access, conduct a series of interviews with employees, and we’ll proceed from there.”

Patton added that from what he’s seen, the integrity of the upcoming primary election has not been compromised.

The cards were discovered missing on the morning of Wednesday, July 11 after they were being tested the previous day in the same secured location.

Shaughnessy said that backup cards are in a sealed environment and are ready for use during the primary election, which she said will not be affected by the theft.

She added that even if the stolen cards were tampered with, procedures are in place that would have uncovered the tampering.

Patton said he doesn’t know what the motivation for the theft would be, but said that it’s “wide-open.”