Double Voting Scandal Rocks St. Clair Shores: AG Nessel Charges Seven in Election Fraud Case

Photo byMichigan Attorney General's Office

Felony charges filed against four residents and three assistant clerks for double voting and falsifying election records in the August 2024 Primary.

St. Clair Shores Election Workers and Voters Accused of Double Voting Scheme

In a significant election fraud case, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced felony charges against four St. Clair Shores residents and three assistant clerks for their alleged involvement in a double voting scheme during the 2024 August Primary Election. The charges include both double voting by individuals and falsifying official election records by local clerks to cover up the illegal activity.

The four residents—Frank Prezzato, 68, Stacy Kramer, 56, Douglas Kempkins, Jr., 44, and Geneva O’Day, 62—face two felony counts each, including Voting Absentee and In-Person and Offering to Vote More than Once, which carry penalties of up to five and four years in prison, respectively. Meanwhile, assistant clerks Patricia Guciardo, 73, Emily McClintock, 42, and Molly Brasure, 31, face multiple felony charges, including Falsifying Election Returns or Records.

How the Double Voting Allegedly Happened

According to the allegations, Prezzato, Kramer, Kempkins, and O’Day appeared in person at polling stations after having already submitted absentee ballots. Despite warnings from the Electronic Poll Book, which tracks voter records and indicated that absentee ballots had already been received, the individuals were still allowed to cast in-person votes. Election workers, allegedly under the direction of Guciardo, McClintock, and Brasure, were instructed to override the system and issue in-person ballots.

These in-person votes were counted alongside the previously submitted absentee ballots, resulting in double voting. The assistant clerks are accused of falsifying the State Qualified Voter File by marking the absentee ballots as rejected, thus ensuring both the absentee and in-person votes were counted.

Investigation and Charges

The double voting incidents were first reported by St. Clair Shores Clerk Abrial Barret, who raised concerns with Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini and law enforcement agencies after the August Primary. Despite an initial decision by Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido not to pursue charges, Attorney General Nessel’s office conducted its own investigation, leading to the current felony charges.

Nessel emphasized the importance of election integrity in her statement, saying, “Election integrity matters, and we must take these violations seriously in order to ensure we can trust the results on the other end.”

The defendants are scheduled to face arraignment in the 40th District Court in St. Clair Shores, though a specific date has not yet been set.

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