St. Clair Shores man accused of voting twice says government entrapped him

A St. Clair Shores man says charges against him for voting twice should be dismissed because the government entrapped him and improperly allowed him to vote in person when his absentee ballot had already been received.

Douglas Kempkens was charged with offering to vote more than once and voting absentee and in person in October by the Michigan Attorney General's Office. After a judge found there was enough evidence for Kempkens to stand trial, his attorney, Steven Rabaut, is now arguing that Kempkens was only following the directions of government employees and did not intend to vote twice.

Kempkens testified during a hearing Tuesday in Macomb County Circuit Court that he usually votes in person, but for the 2024 August primary, he decided to get an absentee ballot because that's how his wife votes. He filled it out, then set it down and forgot about it, he said.

Assistant Attorney General Richard Cunningham asked Kempkens why he had signed the ballot and sealed it in the privacy envelope if he hadn't intended to vote that way. Kempkens said he isn't sure why he did.



https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2025/07/01/st-clair-shores-man-accused-of-voting-twice-says-government-entrapped-him/84431023007/