Two Comstock Township trustees face the ballot

*Kalamazoo County Clerk Meredith Place certified recall petitions against Comstock Township Trustees Bob Pratt and Kristie Cherry on June 24, 2026. A recall election will be held on November 3, 2026*, according to county officials.

The certification means residents collected enough valid signatures to force the vote. Under Michigan Election Law, recall petitions must contain valid signatures equal to at least 25 percent of the votes cast for all candidates for Governor within the officer's electoral district at the most recent gubernatorial election.

1,817 signatures were required to trigger the recall for a Comstock Township Trustee seat.

Signature counts cleared the threshold

According to the Kalamazoo County Clerk's office:

  • Bob Pratt: 1,864 valid signatures
  • Kristie Cherry: 1,830 valid signatures

Both totals exceeded the minimum requirement.

"Following completion of the review process prescribed by Michigan Election Law, it has been determined that a sufficient number of valid signatures were submitted with recall petitions against Comstock Township Trustees Bob Pratt and Kristie Cherry," said Meredith Place, Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds, in a public notice posted on the county website.

Four officials were targeted. Two did not make the cut.

Recall organizers initially filed petitions against four Comstock Township officials in November 2025: Trustees Bob Pratt, Kristie Cherry, and Terry McIver, plus Township Clerk Nicole Beauchamp, according to a public filing posted in a community Facebook group.

The Kalamazoo County Clerk released preliminary verification results on June 12, 2026. After the challenge period ended on June 20, only Pratt and Cherry qualified.

  • Nicole Beauchamp: 1,773 valid signatures. She fell 44 signatures short.
  • Terry McIver: 1,804 valid signatures. He fell 13 signatures short.

Recall organizers operated under the banner Four Recalls For A Better Comstock, also known as Citizens for a Transparent Comstock, according to their public updates.

Residents say they want accountability

Organizers told residents the effort was about giving voters a voice in local government.

"This was never about one person or one group. It was about giving Comstock voters the opportunity to decide," the recall group wrote in a June 24 update posted online.

A resident who filed the original petitions in November 2025 said the targeted officials had "repeatedly voted against the expressed wants, needs, and safety concerns of the community," according to a public Facebook post.

What happens next

Qualified electors of Comstock Township who are registered to vote may cast ballots at their designated polling locations during the hours prescribed by law, according to the county notice.

Additional election information, including polling locations and absentee voting procedures, may be obtained from the Comstock Township Clerk's Office or the Kalamazoo County Clerk's Elections Division.

Pratt and Cherry remain in office until the November election concludes and results are certified.