Meridian Township’s top election official is being disqualified from appearing on the August 2024 ballot for filing a false candidacy document.
Meridian Township Clerk Deborah Guthrie is planning to run as a write-in candidate instead, claiming her actions resulted from misreading the state’s campaign finance requirements.
Despite having filed all the necessary forms, Guthrie did not pay the corresponding fees for her re-election.
Michigan requires candidates to file an affidavit of identity ahead of elections, certifying that their outstanding filing fees and fines have been paid.
Guthrie submitted a form claiming she had done so despite having outstanding payments, saying she thought she could pay the fees at a later time.
“The affidavit says that all statements and reports under the Michigan Campaign Finance Act have been filed or paid,” said Guthrie. “I took that literally to mean 'or.'"
Michigan’s Affidavit of Identity and Receipt of Filing form states that at the date when candidates file “all statements, reports, late filing fees and fines required of the candidate or any Candidate Committee organized to support the candidate’s election under Michigan’s Campaign Finance Act have been filed or paid.”
In Michigan, candidates aligned with a political party and vying for state legislative or county office positions on the primary ballot must pay a $100 filing fee if they haven't submitted a nominating petition alongside their affidavit.
According to Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, her office had already placed Guthrie on the August 2024 ballot but later referred the matter to the State Bureau of Elections after the Meridian Township clerk failed to pay the filing fee by the established deadline.
“Upon guidance from the Bureau of Elections, the filing official must disqualify a candidate who false states that they are compliant with the rules,” Byrum said.
Guthrie claims to have received a letter from Byrum notifying her that the matter would be referred to the Meridian Township Clerk’s office.
“It became a conflict of interest because I am the township’s clerk,” Guthrie added. “The Ingham County Clerk’s office worked with the Meridian Township Manager and the township’s attorney and they recommended that I be disqualified from the ballot.”
Guthrie, who ran as a Democrat four years ago, is now ineligible to run under either party, but she can still qualify as a write-in candidate. Byrum stated her office could not reverse the clerk's disqualification with a corrected affidavit.
Guthrie is now planning to run as a write-in candidate during the primary election in August. She says she’s hoping to work with the state legislature to change the wording on the affidavit form.
“It should read 'and' it shouldn't read 'or' so it should be changed,” Guthrie said.
