Macomb County Prosecutor not authorizing charges in alleged double-voting incident, cites election safeguards as effective

Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
Contact: Dawn Fraylick, Communications Director 
Office: +1 (586) 469-5737 
Cell: +1 (586) 842-4421                                           
Email: Dawn.Fraylick@macombgov.org 

August 29, 2024                      

Macomb County Prosecutor not authorizing charges in alleged double-voting
 incident, cites election safeguards as effective

Mount Clemens, MI — Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido today announced his office will not be authorizing charges in connection with an alleged double-voting incident during the August primary election. After a thorough review of the evidence, the Prosecutor's Office concluded probable cause did not exist to believe that a crime had occurred. 

“We evaluate cases based on facts. St. Clair Shores elections officials quickly identified the issue, preserved records for review, and reported it promptly. This demonstrates that election safeguards are effective and maintain overall integrity,” said Prosecutor Lucido. “Voters, election officials and law enforcement come from different backgrounds and areas, but we all share the same goal to safeguard our most sacred duty as Americans — E pluribus unum.”

The incident involved four voters who were flagged for casting two ballots during the Aug. 6 primary election in St. Clair Shores: one ballot by mail and one ballot in person. While voting twice is a felony in Michigan, documented instances of double voting are exceedingly rare due to the robust safeguards in place. The review confirmed that the appropriate mechanisms functioned as intended to detect the issue.

“This situation highlights an opportunity for law enforcement and elections officials to review and train on this and other issues,” said Prosecutor Lucido. “Macomb County clerks know the rules and follow them, they are diligent to safeguard our elections and keep the process tight.”

About the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office

The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office is committed to upholding justice and serving the community with integrity. Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido and his team work to ensure that the criminal justice system functions fairly, responsibly, and in the best interest of the citizens of Macomb County. Progress by Prosecutor Lucido since January 2021 includes:

• Child Support Collections Increased: intensified efforts to collect child support from parents who owe $5,000 or more, successfully collecting $1.2 million for Macomb County children since last year under this new initiative, with most collections done while avoiding criminal prosecution.
   
• Macomb County Prosecutor Shatters Glass Ceiling: Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido hired a record number of women as assistant prosecuting attorneys, with women filling 70% of new positions in the past three years. A majority of all assistant prosecuting attorneys handling cases in the county are now women. Lucido also promoted a record number of women to lead special units within the prosecutor’s office. After implementing an objective hiring process, and a  commitment to build a diverse and inclusive team to prosecute crimes and reflect the community we serve, Lucido successfully filled all assistant prosecutor positions despite a national shortage, a rarity for an office this size.
   
• Criminal charge requests for juveniles reviewed faster than ever:  The Juvenile Unit is now authorizing or denying petitions at an unprecedented speed, with the number of pending requests reduced to the lowest levels in recent memory, supporting the broader goal of rehabilitating young offenders and protecting vulnerable children.
   
• Record Set for Fast Domestic Violence Warrant Processing: the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is processing domestic violence warrant requests more efficiently than ever, a significant improvement compared to the years before Lucido took office when warrant requests seeking domestic violence charges for out-of-custody defendants could accumulate.
   
• Victim services improved 67%: More Macomb County crime victims get more help. The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office increased by ⅔ the percentage of crime victims receiving crucial support services compared to 2020, the year before Lucido took office. More victims now receive victim rights services, including but not limited to assigned victim advocates, help getting restitution, hearing notices or other kinds of support.
   
• Mental Health Assessments for Gun Crime Defendants: Started a first-in-Michigan policy requiring mental health assessments as part of bond conditions in all gun crime cases, using existing resources to provide an opportunity for mental health services before a suspect gets a chance to commit another crime with a gun.
   
• Hate Crimes Unit Launched: created a Hate Crimes Unit, securing a vital U.S. Department of Justice grant paying 100% of all its costs, a distinction granted to only 16 organizations nationwide last year. Appointed Michigan's first and only solely-dedicated hate crimes prosecutor at a county level, ensuring robust enforcement and community education.
   
• Conviction Integrity Unit Exoneration: started this unit to investigate claims of innocence as a result of clear and convincing new evidence that the convicted defendant was not the person who committed the offense, and to review claims of factual innocence based on new evidence such as DNA.  This unit secured an exoneration.
   
• Major Crimes Unit Launched: Prosecutor Lucido organized the top-ranked assistant prosecutors to focus on major crimes, and train more APAs to handle these types of cases.
   
• Warrant Appeals Unit Launched: Established the state’s first formal prosecutor’s office unit allowing domestic violence victims (and all other crime victims) and law enforcement officials to have a second review of warrant requests where charges were denied.
   
• Digital Evidence Management Platform Implemented: With over 800,000 pieces of digital evidence, police agencies can now upload digital evidence, which the Prosecutor’s Office reviews, and defense lawyers can download directly, resulting in “discovery” information faster than it’s ever been provided.
   
• Increased Internships: Hosted over 200 law school and college interns. Court rules permit law student interns to handle court hearings under supervision, which helps the office serve victims and expedite cases.
   
• Paperless Crime Victim Rights: Implemented the county’s first paperless system for crime victims to request rights and notifications via text message or online.
   
• Police Training Provided: Regular training sessions by assistant prosecutors are conducted for every police agency in Macomb County, including updates on recent court cases.
   
• Enhanced Auto Theft Unit: Addressed a surge in attacks on car dealerships and manufacturing plants, prosecuting more continuing criminal enterprise cases in the past two years than in the previous decade, resulting in over $800,000 in restitution.
   
• Record number of national good government awards received:  The National Association of Counties (NaCO) presented 26 awards to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office during Lucido’s tenure.  The 12 awards received in 2024 is the highest (record) number of awards the organization has ever presented in one year.
   

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