Four people in St. Clair Shores are being investigated for possible double voting and face criminal charges, according to Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini.
St. Clair Shores Town Clerk Abby Barrett reported cases of possible double voting in which four people cast more than one vote, once by mail-in ballot and once in person, with the incidents occurring in voting precincts 7, 15 and 16.
Barrett reported the possible crimes to the Macomb County Clerk’s Office and Michigan election authorities have referred the incident for further investigation, and the Macomb County Clerk’s Office notified the Michigan Secretary of State’s office and Macomb County Attorney Peter Lucido on Thursday in accordance with state law.
“Our Macomb County elections have strict protocols in place to protect and ensure the accuracy and transparency of our community members’ votes. Numerous safeguards have been put in place to ensure that cases of voter fraud are rare and, if attempted, are detected,” Forlini said in a statement.
“Our office has demanded a thorough investigation of each case and when a crime has been committed, we expect that lawbreakers will be held accountable to the fullest extent possible under the law,” Forlini said.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued her own statement Thursday evening.
“I am grateful to the Macomb County Clerk for his cooperation in ensuring that voter fraud is rare and that when it does occur, we detect it and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law. Thanks to our partnership and commitment to security, he followed the protocols we have in place and I have now referred the matter to the Michigan Attorney General for further investigation and possible charges,” Benson said.
After unofficial election results are released, election officials review all election processes and results to confirm their accuracy and correct any clerical errors. The process is overseen by bipartisan election committees, which also conduct any recounts and certify election results.
Once the results are counted, the Board of State Canvassers conducts its own review before voting to certify the election and deeming the result final.
