Shelby Township’s election machinery will have a different person at the controls next Tuesday, after Clerk Stanley Grot decided to recuse himself because his wife is running for a state House seat on the ballot. The handoff comes with early voting already underway and the township preparing for a closely watched Republican primary.
Grot announced the decision Tuesday night, saying he did not want to become part of gossip or rumors that he might influence the election. As reported by WXYZ, Grot said the recusal was his own decision and that he believed it was the appropriate step.
The recusal is limited to Election Day, rather than a full withdrawal from the election process. Shelby Township’s official clerk’s office page identifies Grot as township clerk and Craig Cowper as deputy clerk, while noting that the clerk’s office is responsible for administering federal, state and local elections.
Deputy Clerk Will Run Election Day Operations
Cowper is expected to take over the Election Day duties, with Grot also saying additional observers will be brought in to bolster confidence in the process. The Michigan Department of State lists the constitutionally required early-voting period as running through Sunday, with the primary scheduled for next Tuesday.
Sylvia Grot is running in the Republican primary for Michigan House District 59, an open seat that includes Shelby Township. The official Macomb County candidate list names Sylvia Grot, Jean Zott and Matt Grubb as the Republican candidates, with Democrat Jason Robbins running unopposed in his party’s primary.
Zott said she supports the recusal but argued it should have happened before absentee ballots were issued. University of Michigan political scientist Michael Traugott also described the move as necessary, telling WXYZ that stepping aside could help remove concerns about how votes are tabulated.
Decision Follows Earlier Election Controversy
The timing also puts fresh attention on Grot’s recent return to election administration. He had previously been barred from overseeing elections while facing charges tied to Michigan’s 2020 false-elector case; those charges were dismissed, and the state Attorney General’s Office later declined to appeal, according to C&G News.
For now, the practical arrangement is straightforward: Cowper will handle Election Day operations, while Grot’s wife competes for the Republican nomination. Grot said any decision about recusing himself from November’s general election will depend on the outcome of the primary.
