Four people are facing felony charges over allegations they intentionally voted twice in Michigan’s summer primary election, the state attorney general said on Friday.
Three public employees accused of enabling the double voting were also charged.
The charges, announced by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, comes a month before the presidential election which is expected to have a high turnout in the state.
Nessel said the four individuals charged with voting twice had already submitted absentee ballots before showing up in person in St. Clair Shores for the primary on August 6. The attorney general noted it’s illegal to cancel an absentee ballot that’s already been processed on Election Day and then vote again in person.
“It’s shocking and simply unheard of,” Nessel said during a press conference. “What occurred here cannot be allowed to be repeated in November.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks during a press conference on April 16, 2024, in Lansing, Michigan. On Friday, Nessel announced charges against four people for allegedly voting twice in Michigan’s recent primary.
Al Goldis/Detroit News via AP
According to Nessel, an electronic poll book indicated the four people had already voted, but they were permitted to vote a second time in person after poll workers spoke with election staff. Nessel also noted that the extra votes did not change the outcome of the race.
As a result, Nessel said that three assistant clerks in St. Clair Shores were charged with falsifying election records.
“These assistant clerks are not the volunteer election workers who greet you at the polls, but instead are municipal employees trained in election law and procedure with delegated authority by the elected municipal clerk,” she said.
Nessel also said it is it “imperative” that all “election staff” follows the state’s election rules. She also said the additional votes did not impact the results of the primary.
According to Nessel, the state is currently unsure of the motives of the individuals, and she noted that there is currently no evidence to show that they were working together.
The state intervened after Pete Lucido, the Republican prosecutor for Macomb County, declined to pursue charges, stating there was “no malicious or criminal intent.” However, Nessel suggested that Lucido lacked adequate familiarity with such cases.
“There are so many different procedures that are involved here,” she said. “I think if you’re not highly familiar with this, the way that our staff has become, it’s easy to make mistakes.”
Lucido declined to comment on the charges following a request from The Associated Press, but he expressed respect for the attorney general’s investigatory resources.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
