ON THE ROAD
WITH TONY...
Welcome to our June newsletter!
During June, we celebrated the Juneteenth Holiday, marking the end of slavery in the United States, two years after the signing of the emancipation proclamation. Juneteenth is a great opportunity to remember how far we've come as a country, celebrating the true meaning of freedom and opportunity.
This newsletter focuses on concerns about election security, and what the Macomb County Clerk's Office has done to address those concerns. We are confident that when you cast your ballot in the Primary and General Elections, your vote will count. Below, see a recent video conversation that addresses many of the concerns and a recent Macomb Daily article focusing on the County's "Improved Election Security."
And we also have included last month's "Early In-Person Voting" information (in case you missed it last month!). Make sure to take advantage of this convenient program which starts in your community on Saturday, July 27, 2024, especially if you are not able to make it on either the Primary or Presidential Election Days.
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Fishfly Festival Parade in New Baltimore
 Clerk Forlini and Clerk's Office staff members and friends participated in the 59th annual Bay-Rama Fishfly Festival Parade in New Baltimore.
The five-day Fishfly Festival features music performances, entertainment, games, carnival rides and fireworks. Profits from the Festival benefits the City of New Baltimore and its residents.
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V I D E O F E A T U R E
 We had a gentleman, Ken Licari, come to the office recently as he was concerned about election security. So I invited him to sit down, and we recorded the following conversation to answer some of the questions that are burning in peoples' minds. Take a look, and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to play video.
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I N T H E N E W S
  Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, from left, talks election security recently in Eastpointe with Eastpointe Deputy Clerk Robin Underwood; Mariah Walton, Eastpointe city manager and clerk; Heather Ross and Amy Wheeler, Eastpointe Clerk’s Office staff, and Michael Grix, county chief election clerk. MACOMB COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE PHOTO
MACOMB DAILY Article
Macomb County clerk fostering
improved election security
Communities’ election clerks training in
capturing voting machines’ digital fingerprint
By JAMESON COOK | Macomb Daily
PUBLISHED: June 24, 2024
Local clerks throughout Macomb County have taken a digital fingerprint of voting tabulator software that can be checked after the August primary to ensure no illicit changes took place.
County Clerk Anthony Forlini has been conducting the “hash validation” since he took office four years ago as part of a forensic audit of its election servers. The Harrison Township Republican believes his office is the only one in Michigan that is conducting such efforts.
“Hash validation is another tool in our election security toolbox,” Forlini said. “Each machine used in an election goes through pre-election testing to ensure that the ballots are being read and tabulated properly.”
“Hash validation goes the extra step” by comparing files on the machine against files via the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, he added.
The county has worked with its election vendor, Election Systems and Software, to provide training to local clerks on how to capture the information, he said.
The EAC calls hash validation “especially critical for voting systems” and compares it to “balancing your checkbook.”
“Ensuring a program or digital file has not been tampered with or just corrupted when downloaded or installed becomes a relatively simple matter of calculating the hash value and comparing it to the hash checksum provided by the developer or an independent lab,” the EAC says. “If they are not the same, the program has been changed in some way. This change is not always malicious but is a reason to proceed with caution.
“Any change in just one byte of the data comprising the computer program or digital file will change the hash value. The hash value is, therefore, a unique fingerprint for any program or digital file.”
LINK to published article.
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Early In-Person Voting for Upcoming Primary and General Elections!
Early voting allows a voter to cast and tabulate their ballot in person, prior to Election Day, in an experience similar to voting on Election Day.
Early Voting will be open to all Macomb County voters leading up to the August 6, 2024 Primary Election. Early Voting will begin on Saturday, July 27th and end on Sunday, August 4th.
For the November 5, 2024 Election, Early Voting will begin on Saturday, October 26th and end on Sunday, November 3rd.
Each community has their own specific early voting site and hours. For more information, contact your local city/township clerk or visit:
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