PARK TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Oct. 3, 2026) – A Park Township woman is facing charges stemming from allegedly tampering with absentee ballots ahead of the August 4th Primary Election.
On Friday, the Ottawa County Clerk’s Office and Park Township Clerk Joan Zeerip announced only that a “defendant” waived a preliminary hearing in 58th District Court on September 22nd, and will be arraigned in 20th Circuit Court on October 26th. They did not identify the accused, but WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids is reporting that her name is Christine Rekar.
According to Park Township Clerk, the suspect attempted to “spoil” the absentee ballots of her two adult children that had been submitted ahead of the election. Staffers conducted a standard signature verification process and reportedly noted discrepancies between the signatures on the envelopes and those contained in the voters’ records, as well as recognize similarities to the accused person’s signature in her own record, along with absentee ballot materials. The ballots were subsequently rejected and not counted, while the case was taken to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation and subsequent charges from the county’s prosecuting attorney office.
The accused could face up to five years in prison and/or a $2,000 fine if convicted of the felony charge.
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