ESCANABA — Two members of the Delta County Board of Canvassers who voted not to certify the results of the May 7 county board recall election have resigned.

Republican Canvasser Bonnie Hakkola submitted a letter announcing her resignation Friday. Alternate Republican Canvasser LeeAnne Oman, who was filling in for Republican Canvasser Sema Deeds at the May 14 meeting when she voted with Hakkola not to certify the election, submitted her own resignation letter Thursday.

Both resignations were announced early Tuesday afternoon with the publishing of the Delta County Board of Commissioners agenda packet.

Hakkola and Oman based their decision to vote against the ­certification at the May 14 board of canvassers meeting on the consistency of the voter ratios across races. Challengers Kelli Van Ginhoven and Matt Jensen each received 72% of the vote in their respective races, to incumbent commissioners Dave Moyle’s and Bob Petersen’s 27%. In the race between challenger Myra Croasdell and Incumbent Commissioner Bob Barron, the percentages were 73% and 26%, respectively.

The elections was certified on May 17, after Deeds returned to the board to vote in its favor. Hakkola verbally objected to the certification at that meeting and abstained from voting, but ultimately signed the certification documents.

“As a member of the Board of Delta County Canvassers I am being asked to certify the May 7th recall election,” Canvasser Bonnie Hakkola read from a prepared statement at the May 17 meeting. “I am being coerced into signing a document. Whereas the Michigan Constitution states in Article II, Sec. 7 (7) ‘For purposes of this section “to certify” means to make a signed, written statement.’ Therefore, I am writing my statement, which I will sign.”

The written statement included comments that suggested a distrust of voting machines and denied the legitimacy of new election rules approved by voters in 2022.

Neither Hakkola nor Oman referenced any beliefs about the integrity of elections in their resignation letters.

The Delta County Board of Commissioners recognized the resignations by adding a 30 day notice of appointments for the Board of Canvassers to their agenda Tuesday. Only one appointment is being sought.

Appointments to the board of canvassers are made by the county board from recommendations made by the two major political parties. There is no legal requirement to have an official “alternate” in place, but doing so simplifies the process of filling the board in case of an absence, as any temporary members would also need party approval by state law.

Who could be put forward by the Republicans has been a topic of discussion by many in the community. Hakkola serves as the president of the Delta County Republican Party and Oman is the local party’s secretary, suggesting that any views either individual may have about the security of elections would likely be shared by other party members.