Recall Effort Against Antrim County Clerk Gains Momentum
In a significant development, three out of four petitions aiming to recall Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop have been approved by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers. The decision, finalized last Friday, marks a crucial step for organizers who have accused Bishop of multiple legal and procedural violations.
Bishop now faces an October 5 deadline to file an appeal against the board’s ruling. According to the recall campaign’s organizers, the effort was fueled by alleged misconduct, including improper voter registration cancellations.
Earlier this year, Bishop’s access to Michigan’s Qualified Voter File (QVF)—a comprehensive list of registered voters—was revoked by the State Bureau of Elections. This action followed accusations that she unlawfully canceled the registrations of certain county voters.
A September 18 letter from the bureau outlined several trainings and corrective actions required for Bishop to regain temporary access to the QVF. Sam May, representing Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, confirmed via email to Michigan Public that this was their last correspondence with Bishop.
Additionally, the Michigan State Police launched an investigation in June after Bishop permitted her husband to access her office and county computer unsupervised. Although Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office concluded that no criminal activity had occurred, it criticized Bishop’s actions as “a clear misstep from adequate practices and prudent policy,” given the sensitivity of the records involved.
Ashley Areeda, spokesperson for the Recall Victoria Bishop Committee, noted that earlier petition submissions were rejected by Republican members of the Board of State Canvassers. To address their concerns, the committee submitted four revised petitions, of which three were approved.
The committee is now tasked with selecting one of the approved petitions for the recall campaign. The language set to appear on the petition details Bishop’s unauthorized changes to voter status codes in the QVF between July 2025 and June 2026. Specifically, it alleges that she altered six voter records in Mancelona Township without requests from the responsible township clerks.
Bishop’s attorney, Kevin Kijewski, indicated to Votebeat that Bishop is reviewing the decision and evaluating her options. “In the meantime, she will continue serving the people of Antrim County,” the statement read. “A recall is ultimately decided by the voters, and if it reaches them, she looks forward to making her case directly to them.”
The recall campaign aims to gather 4,500 valid signatures within 60 days to qualify for the ballot, although it is targeting a collection of at least 6,000 signatures. The organizers plan to schedule the recall vote for Antrim County’s regular spring election in May.
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