Michigan city's missing election equipment found by state police

ADAMS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Elections equipment missing from a southern Michigan community has been located, the secretary of state’s office reported Friday.

The equipment was recovered Friday at the Adams Township Hall in Hillsdale County, spokeswoman Tracy Wimmer said in a release.

Wimmer did not give details about the equipment but said an investigation was being conducted to determine if anyone had tampered with it.

State officials earlier had barred township clerk Stephanie Scott from running next week’s local election. Scott failed to take steps to ensure the security of the vote, the Michigan Bureau of Elections said.

Hillsdale County instead will supervise the Adams Township election.

Hillsdale County Clerk Marney Kast said her office retrieved the township tabulator and a voter assist terminal Monday, but the tabulator tablet was missing, The Detroit News reported Thursday.

Kast’s office contacted Scott and asked her to return the tablet by 8 a.m. Wednesday, but Scott responded that she was in contact with an attorney, Kast said.

Scott did not say whether she had the tablet.

In banning Scott from running Tuesday’s general election, the state has said she did not allow a contractor to perform preventative maintenance on voting equipment and did not conduct accuracy tests, among other issues.

Scott, a Republican, denied being negligent but said she had concerns about the equipment. She told The Detroit News that she had considered paper ballots and a hand count but settled on tabulators.

Adams Township is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Detroit.